Comets over Clarines
by RyuuNoOkaasan
Summary: Obi and Izark come from similarly dark backgrounds, and have found the light they crave. What happens when they are brought together, and how does the combination affect the lights around them? (Not canon. Based off my novels in 'The Missing Princess' series and 'The Dangers of Being Intellectual'. For more info see my profile.)
1. Arrival

**Comets Over Clarines**

 **CHAPTER 1 Arrival**

There was a whirl of wind at the door landing. In the dim lamplight there were suddenly two persons, holding each other closely, the wind briefly whipping their hair and clothing before dying out and leaving with a sigh. One was tall, thin, with long black hair, long bangs held out of his eyes with a dark blue bandana. He wore a long coat, belted and a sword by his side, soft leather boots, with a bag flung over his shoulder. The companion he was holding tightly was easier to see as they separated slightly, though he kept an arm around her protectively. Shorter by a head plus a little, medium-length brown hair, knee-length dress over leggings, shod with petite shoes that had seen plenty of wear, like his boots. She also had a bag slung over her shoulder. It was obvious they were travelers. Their method of travel was unique.

 _'We're awake...? And where?'_ Noriko asked along the internal link she and Izark shared. Normally when the World of Light sent them to their next task, in whatever universe it needed them in, they woke up sleeping in a protected place. This arrival had been unique for them, not just for this world.

Izark was already looking around warily. _'There are whispers on the wind. We've been seen arriving...though no one seems interested in attacking at the moment.'_ They both took a little longer to take stock. Izark turned to look at the door they were standing next to. _'Seems to be an eating establishment.'_

Noriko looked up at him, interested. _'Shall we, then? Since we've been deposited so specifically?'_

He frowned at her. _'We're probably not dressed right, you know.'_ Each world dressed a little differently. It might be bad if what they were in was too far off.

Noriko shrugged with a smile. _'The World of Light usually knows what it's doing, even with that, you know... It did give us a clothing merchant first thing, after all, as soon as I needed one in your world.'_

Izark's grey-blue eyes widened and he smiled his small smile at her that spoke volumes to her but most people missed. _'True.'_

Noriko looked at his eyes for a moment, now that her medium brown ones had adjusted to the dim light of the evening. _'Do you have access to your powers here, Izark? Your eyes are almost blue.'_

Izark raised an eyebrow and considered. His eyes only went blue when he was fully using his powers. Normally they were darker. _'Somewhat, it seems. Not fully. I'll have to experiment. We do obviously have the ability to mind-speak.'_ He cut off.

They'd been standing in the one location too long and things in the night were starting to move. He turned to the door and opened it, taking just a second to process exactly what kind of door handle it was. He had to use his memories of being in Noriko's world since it was a latch handle that he pressed down on to pull the catch. He'd probably seen all the varieties of door handles by now. The World of Light, it seemed, hadn't wanted to give up on its one physical connection to the worlds - namely Izark. Izark was immortal - a demon in his world, an angel in Noriko's - with a direct physical connection to the world of light. Noriko wasn't. She'd come to his world as just a normal human girl and helped him find the angel inside the demon in him, to his uttermost relief. The last thing he wanted to be was a demon of destruction...as in last even after his own personal death...and probably not even then.

Noriko died in every world, well the first two anyway. The World of Light had let them live her full life-span in his world, then again in her world - he'd gotten old in that world as well since his powers had been mostly taken from him to live there. They'd both been utterly astounded to arrive in a third world, young again (early twenties) when they'd laid down what was probably their last night together as very old people in her world. It only took the intelligent Noriko about five minutes of hard thinking to come up with a plausible explanation. The World of Light wanted to use Izark for its own purposes since he was himself a physical part of it, knew he needed Noriko by his side, and was willing to grant that reward to get what it wanted from him.

They'd already gone through several other worlds now. Most of them they didn't stay all that long - just to resolve whatever issue the World of Light needed. That usually meant stopping a dark evil from taking over, or cleaning one out that the other residents of that world couldn't. Then they were moving on again. Several interesting things had come out of that. One: They always arrived in the clothing they wandered Izark's world in, including the bags of their camping out supplies with a few changes of clothing, water, a little food, and a little coin, though that didn't go far in some worlds where the money exchange was really different. Two: They were allowed by the World of Light a modified form of their mind-speech that worked like a two-way translation filter. _That_ had been a blessing. Noriko had learned Izark's language quickly, becoming competent in only six months. Izark had been able to learn Noriko's in just a little over that, the connection to the World of Light being a little more 'distant' in that world (distance was determined by how many people were good at heart in the world, was there current theory). To have to relearn the languages in every world they weren't going to be in for long would have been a royal pain.

Izark closed the door behind them, after ushering Noriko into the room, his hand gently on her back. He'd been her protector so long it was without thought that he always kept her close to hand. She, for her part, automatically held on to the back of his jacket, letting him know she was close, with him, but out of the way of his sword hand so he could fight at a moment's notice. He'd gotten a little rusty on her world - swords weren't carried there. Only his daily practice had kept any of it going. It had been a restful life for him, in comparison to his world...once he got used to the fast pace of it. He'd spent a lot of time with her grandfather, learning how to be slow in that fast world as a means of self-defense. This place seemed to be more his speed, so far. No motor cars, trains, or other high technology sounds and bright lights. Even indoors it was oil lamps and candles. He relaxed slightly, just for that...until he scanned the room. Then he went into resigned alert.

The whispers on the air were here also, but he wasn't getting a translation. _'Noriko, do you hear the voices on the wind? I can't translate them.'_

Noriko was also looking around the room...very much like the restaurants of her world, actually, with booths around the outside edge and tables in the center. _'No. I don't hear them, just the soft conversations of the patrons. They aren't talking to us, though, so I don't know yet about the translations. The clothing isn't too far off, either, at least for my world. It's a bit of a problem we've come dressed for yours. This looks like late middle ages to neo-modern. The women have dresses, except for that one in the middle.'_

The people in the booths were likely town citizens, for the most part, quiet, one to three in a booth, relaxing, non-threatening. It was three tables-worth of people in the middle that had Izark concerned. Four uniformed men at one, all with swords, making his sword not too dramatic. One man could almost be Izark's cousin, with long black hair, except he was darker of skin. He looked like at least as good a fighter as Izark, his face composed into a court neutral. Next to him was a slightly shorter man, medium brown slightly wavy hair, good natured eyes though the face was also a bit closed warily, plenty fit enough to know how to use his sword as well. Across from them were two more, slightly younger men. One with straight hair and a bit of a scowl of distrust on his face, his back tight with tension. His partner was rather the opposite - a tangled mess of blonde hair, a genial look on his face, even a bit of a grin. The wariness was in his eyes. They both screamed thief, though their uniforms and swords belied it. It was an odd juxtaposition.

They weren't the ones Izark was most worried about though. The one he was most worried about sat by himself a little further to the right, three tables over, looking towards the four. He was in the same uniform, was older as if a commander, and was so relaxed that the aura of supreme readiness coming off of him was another extreme contrast. That contrast was accentuated by the fact that his hands and body said he'd kill at a moment's notice but his face said he'd love to be your most trustworthy friend - open, friendly, even now with strangers in strange clothing entering the room. He gave Izark a slight grin with one side of his mouth. Yeah, they were peas in a pod, weren't they - each of a kind recognizing each other, except Izark looked like on the outside what he was on the inside - mostly. The man glanced at the third table and the wind spoke again with a light baritone. Izark raised an eyebrow slightly, then turned to look at that table.

There was a couple at that table. Also in the same uniform, but looking like they were having a date, holding hands as they calmly ate. The wind spoke again, a little longer this time, with a clear bell-like woman's tones, though she didn't look up. He caught the tone, though. Calmly commanding. The man with her glanced at her with a bit of a concerned look, but he didn't comment - on the air or otherwise. She could also have been cousin to the first man and Izark to some degree - or siblings of that man. She had straight long black hair, pulled back in a thick braid that reached almost past her seat. Her features were royal, almost beautiful, but not in the Tazasheena way, more the beautiful of Duke Jeida, though that was an odd way to put it. It's just the Grand Duke was the most noble person Izark had had the distinct honor of calling a friend.

The man sitting with her looked also cousin - short black hair, though - with the same darker features. His face looked like it could go from hard and angry to jovial and kind in an instant. At the moment, he was calm and measuring, taking the same measure of the newcomers Izark was taking of all of them. _'Rather reminds me of a Yakuza-Mafia group,'_ Noriko commented. _'I wonder if that's who we're supposed to meet?'_

 _'Hard to believe an evil group is who we'd meet first, particularly in a quiet place like this,'_ Izark commented back. _'It does have that feel, though. I definitely agree with that.'_

"Welcome to the Scholars Tavern, travelers. Will you please come with me?" Both relaxed just a little more in relief. The translation was going to work, and they spoke normally, too, not just on the wind.

"Scholars?" Noriko asked with interest as they walked with the matron.

"Yes," she nodded in a friendly manner. "We opened this place in Wilant City to allow the transplants from Lyrias, the university city in the far northwest to have a place to gather where they could think, eat, and interact like they would have there."

"Oh, what a wonderful idea! I'll hope to come back, then, or perhaps visit Lyrias while we're here." Noriko loved to study and learn and teach. She'd run a department of a university, then been dean on Izark's world after they had helped it return to a peaceful world, doing experiments to see if she could modernize that world just a little - and she'd done a good job of it before they left. She'd been a doctor on her world. Both came in handy on their further adventures.

The matron led them right up to the table with the couple on their date. "Oh, do you enjoy the university environment, then?" the woman at the table's eyes lit up like Noriko's. Izark almost smiled to see the commonality. He glanced at the other seated man and the look in his eyes matched Izark's. The look they shared was the same as well, once the other man got over his initial brief shock to see kindred feelings in Izark.

"Yes, I do. I ran...was a teacher at one for a while," Noriko said happily.

"Really? I am also, though I can only go twice a year. They tell me I have to come be the next Dean," the black-haired woman laughed. "That's a dream down the road, though."

"That's a fun job to have," Noriko said. She knew.

"I'm looking forward to it," the woman smiled and looked between the two of them. "Please sit with us. We are just finishing, but we aren't in a hurry tonight."

"Thank you," Izark said in his normally quiet voice. "We're sorry to intrude upon your date." He held out a chair for Noriko next to the woman and pushed her in, then slung his bag on the back of the fourth chair and sat between her and the man. He wasn't fooled. To be invited to their table directly meant the whispers originated from or to here and they had power here in this place.

The man he sat next to waved a hand. "No problem. You're interesting, and we're curious. My name is Obi Melick, this is my wife Ilena Polov Wisteria."

Izark nodded at both of them. "Pleasure. I'm Izark kia Tarj, this is my wife Noriko Taichiki."

 _'Interesting. A world where, like yours, family names don't necessarily carry to spouses.'_ Noriko commented.

Ilena laced her fingers together and rested them in front of her chin, her elbows on the table. "Izark," she waited for him to look at her, then paused just a little longer, her eyes lit with extreme curiosity. It seemed she changed her mind and said something different. "We'll pay for your meals."

Noriko's eyebrows went up high and Izark froze for just a moment. "Thank you?" he said cautiously.

"...As payment for visiting with us," she finished, answering his unspoken question. Izark's sudden tension had the whole group alert, though. Ilena paused, then waved a hand at the man seated by himself.

He rose smoothly and walked over. Quietly, the same sort of quiet Izark used in his speaking, he asked, "Yes, Mistress Ilena?"

"I think we need to introduce you so that he can relax enough to actually eat." There was a bit of a bubble of humor in her voice. "Izark kia Tarj, this is Liam Melick, Obi's older brother, and my shield. He sits alone because I overwork him and the Children are a bit high strung for him when he wants to relax. I would greatly appreciate it if the two of you could tone down your worries about each other." She looked between Izark and Noriko, then looked closely at Noriko, as if looking _into_ her. She came back to herself, then nodded. "I see." She pointed a hand towards Noriko. "Liam, see, it's here. Look." Liam turned his gaze to Noriko, who was a bit worried, but tried to smile politely. As they looked into each other's eyes, Liam did finally relax and bow. "You said your name is Nori-ko Tai-chi-ki?" Ilena said they syllables carefully.

Noriko nodded. "That's done very well, and even in your own tongue." She paused, holding her breath slightly, having given them away if that slip was caught. Eyebrows were raised. These people were sharp and had caught it. Izark sighed to himself. This job wasn't going to be easy, it looked like. They were going to be discovered already. They generally tried not to be, since it often meant power hungry people wanted to keep them against their will.

"Thank you," Ilena said smoothly, but in a noble way, not an evil cover-up. She looked up over her shoulder at Liam. "Do you see it?" she asked him.

Liam bowed to Noriko slightly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Noriko. I'm sure Mistress Ilena could talk all night with you on many university topics. She doesn't often have the chance with the rest of us, save Mistress Shirayuki and Mister Ryuu on occasion. I'm sure your dinner conversation will not be lacking." He had a hint of a genuine smile on his face that surprised Izark.

Izark leaned back slightly, looking between Liam and Noriko. "Thank you, Mister Liam," Noriko said a little shyly.

 _'Noriko. Does he 'see'? Can he see your light?'_ Izark was burning with curiosity. Noriko carried the World of Light in her eyes.

 _'I think, a little. She does.'_ The second was definite.

Izark turned to the other man - Obi. He was looking at Liam's reaction as well, then looked at Noriko with a look of consideration. When he noticed Izark's attention turned to him, he glanced at him, then turned to his wife, resting his chin on his hand, his elbow on the table. "She reminds me very much of Mistress," he commented mildly.

"I was thinking the same," Ilena said with a soft smile.

Izark leaned back and relaxed. That was enough for him. Ilena's eyes flickered to him, lit with humor and openness. That was interesting. This Ilena seemed to know exactly how to manipulate people in very minor ways. She was definitely the head of this group. Izark had seen her light, though, just enough to know that for the time of this meal, at least, they were safe. If they served someone like Noriko, who was all light, they were likely good, especially with that reaction when they talked of her.

Liam bowed and made his way back to his table. There was a voice on the wind again, male and a bit complainey. The people at this table didn't move, but Izark flicked an eye to the table of four. The sour expression of the one man who already hadn't liked their entrance made it pretty obvious who had spoken. A lilting of the clear female voice made Izark's eyes snap back to the woman, though he felt the tenseness of that other man's shoulders give way to resignation.

 _Oh, so you can hear it._ Izark blinked. That time it came translated. He looked her in the eyes as she slowly raised them to look into his. _If you can't speak at this level, don't answer. It's a secret._ He nodded slightly. She relaxed again. That was odd and made him very curious. He was actually glad that the food arrived in front of him and Noriko at that point to distract him.

Obi leaned forward, a hand raised cautionarily. "Ah, Ma, what did you bring her to drink?"

The matron looked at him, then at Noriko with a smile. "Juice, of course. I know the Children who can't tolerate the alcohol, Father."

Obi grinned at her. "Even the ones who aren't Children...yet. You're very good. Thanks."

"This one, though," the matron pointed at Izark, "is like you. I could give you both the entire cabinet and the both of you would just slosh your way out the door."

Obi's face lit up even more and he laughed. Izark immediately liked him. His laugh was kind and genuine, and the light in his face now was as well, his wariness at newcomers erased for this moment. "You also don't become drunk?" Izark asked him.

Obi shook his head, then pointed a finger at Ilena. "Don't test her, either. She's got more tolerance than I do, and I don't even know what that is yet."

Izark smiled shyly at both of them. "I prefer not to test mine over what is needful for a meal."

Ilena lit up. "Ah, my kind of man, then. Obi would go until he's only got empty bottles around him, or a full stomach." The gentle tease was evident.

Obi nodded. "It means we split the bottle, two for her, four for me, and we've had enough."

Izark lifted his cup. "That must be nice. I have to drink the whole thing." He looked over at Noriko, a teasing twinkle in his eye. She grimaced at him as she ate her second bite of the food. If she was okay, then he'd be okay with the food. He tasted the wine. It wasn't too bad, actually. "This is nice," he said as he set it back down.

Obi nodded. "That's one of the nice things about this place. Nice enough to have decent drinks, not so overly ostentatious that we can't afford to even walk in for smells."

Izark took up his fork. "The best places are like that."

Ilena was an excellent hostess, taking up intellectual interests with Noriko as the two of them tried to find common ground in that arena. Izark had spent enough time in politics on his world to know. Slowly he came to draw a picture of her and what she possibly was. Her nobility, that came out like a sun from behind clouds, was what spoke to him most. For all nothing had been said about titles, he was pretty certain she was titled, if this world had them. With her being called 'mistress', it surely did. Obi had been called 'master' and they were spouses, so he carried title as well, but Izark thought he might have married to it. He was more...'rougish' seemed the only word that came to mind, really. His thoughts flicked to Liam, as did his eyes briefly. She'd called him her 'shield' and he felt like Izark himself. That didn't make him 'demon', but it did make him definitely 'strong protector'. Strong enough she was likely placed fairly high in the strata of this world's nobility. And with four more along with them...

"Ah, Izark," Noriko turned to him, "she says she studied herbs at the university."

Izark looked up interested. "That was my first study as well, though never formal," he said to her. Both Obi and Noriko took notice of that. He smiled a little sadly. "It was of necessity so that I could heal the injured around me. When I was young there was much war and bloodshed in my...country and the surrounding ones. I taught it to Noriko, but she took it much farther in her usual excitement to learn new things and became a doctor, along with all the other things she did."

They nodded sympathetically. "We haven't had that problem here, yet. Regent Zen and King Izana are very good at keeping the country stable, and we've managed to get treaties of peace with all the surrounding nations." Ilena paused, glanced at Obi, then added, "Except one." She kept her tone light, as if to say it didn't matter, but the worry was still there.

Izark and Noriko looked at each other, in complete agreement along their line of emotional connection. They'd been brought to help with that, almost surely.

"Oh, I know," Ilena sat up, as if a child suddenly come up with an idea. Izark raised an eyebrow, not believing it for an instant. Obi, seeing his reaction, hid a smile behind his hand, turning away. "Why don't you come with us. We've got a room you can stay in and tomorrow we'll show you the green houses. I'd love to know what herbs you know about that we might not, and I'd bet you'd love to see what we have, too. I don't know if Mistress Shirayuki would be available, but Ryuu would be. If there are things you could share with him, I know he'd be ecstatic." She smiled a wistful smile. "Herbs and plants are his life. He's been a Court Pharmacist since he was ten. He is the first child prodigy recognized by the crown."

Noriko blinked. "A child?" Noriko and Obi both nodded.

"Well, he isn't any more," Obi modified. "He's come into his own, and even has a girlfriend now." Obi and Ilena looked mischievously at each other, but didn't elaborate.

"In my...land we also have a few child prodigies. They always receive high recognition," Noriko said kindly.

"I always thought Noriko was one," Izark said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder as he leaned back from his empty plate.

Noriko shook her head. "No, not really. I just work hard."

Ilena pinned Noriko with a look. "Prodigies have to work hard, too. It is just their minds are nimble from a young age."

Noriko paused, then retracted. "Well, yes, I suppose you're right. I guess I can't compare really."

Obi interjected kindly, "In our world, the prodigies were only just being recognized at the time Ryuu was found by the Head Court Pharmacist of Wistal Castle. Ilena was missed because she was born just a little too soon. I'm afraid it's still a little sore point for her. She had four dissertations by the time they finally graduated her at twenty five. The first one was completed when she was about nine. She just had to wait a long time, is all."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Noriko said, meaning it. "I'm glad they finally did recognize you though." She blushed a little. "But...in my world I'm not that good." Izark tightened his hand on Noriko's shoulder in warning too late. He'd heard Obi's use of the word, but hadn't expected it to rebound off Noriko. He sighed to himself. He didn't need to look at the two others at the table to know they'd caught it...and all the pauses before when they'd tried hard to not say it before. They were definitely nobles and the two of them were almost as definitely in trouble.

When he didn't react otherwise right then, though he wanted to rise and make their excuses and leave, Ilena smoothly took up her turn to answer. "Thank you. I do have to keep forgiving them. The new dean there now knew of my earliest works and apologized. Actually, to some degree it was my own fault. I kept hiding from them when they wanted to give me the diplomas earlier. It took the Regent pinning me down so I couldn't run away again for them to be able to do it." Izark was surprised when Ilena blushed just a little. "Then I could have kicked my younger self. I've really enjoyed being a professor for real since then." Her voice was wistful.

Noriko looked at her for a moment. "We can't change the past, only move forward daily doing our best. I hope you continue to enjoy the times you can get to Lyrias."

Ilena's eyes rose to meet Noriko's and there was a moment of the world pausing - holding it's breath. Ilena bowed her head slightly to Noriko. "Thank you," she said very seriously. She took the initiative and rose. She looked solemnly between Izark and Noriko. "Please, come with us, to the castle."

Noriko's breath caught, surprised by the location. Izark rose smoothly to look Ilena in the eyes. "Will you tell us your rank first?"

"Second Princess of Clarines. Regent Zen is my younger brother, King Izana is my older brother."

Izark pulled Noriko's chair out for her and she stood, as did Obi. Izark looked at Noriko soberly. She looked back. _'Yes, Izark, I think we should.'_

He looked back at Ilena and bowed his head slightly. "We would be honored, Your Highness." They might be able to run for it, but it wouldn't look pretty, and so far, things looked promising.

The men at the other tables rose as well and moved, two to head towards the door, two who fell in behind Liam who fell in behind Izark and Noriko and their hosts. Izark took it in. It meant that in this world, protection was expected for royalty, at least, and possibly necessary, for all they had said there was peace. But only five for the two, who looked capable enough on their own, also said it wasn't terrible.

"That's Henry - the one who doesn't want to trust you just yet - and Marcus his partner. They are my guards," Ilena waved at the two who had headed to the door and were both holding it open for them and were scanning the streets to make sure they were safe enough to enter. "The other two are Petroi and Thayne. Petroi's the one who stood behind me from childhood so comes from my home country. I've put him behind Obi now, and Obi asked specifically for Thayne."

Princess Ilena was very good at knowing how to put Izark at ease, and he looked at her from the side of his eyes, his curiosity rising again, though not quite as bad as before. He wondered just how much they would let him and Noriko know when they were in private.

"You're native country? But I thought you said the King and Regent of this country were your brothers?" Noriko asked. "Ah, I'm sorry, for asking." She immediately rescinded her curiosity.

Ilena looked at her tolerantly. "No. It is confusing. My mother and their mother were sisters. Because I am now an orphan, they have adopted me as their sister. By blood we are cousins." Before Noriko could be sympathetic, Ilena continued breezily on, "I was born in Selicia, a country to the north west, on the other side of tall mountains. Petroi was also born there. Obi and I are second cousins, sharing a great-grandfather, but he was born here in Wilant, the northern region of Clarines. The line of kings of Selicia runs in his blood, as does the ancient blood of the kings of Wilant, before it formed the alliance with Clarines and became a fief for the sake of being protected against its enemies. My mother was the Second Princess of Clarines and my father the Third Prince of Selicia before the coup there. I'm just as happy to only be the princess of one kingdom now. The new king there is doing rather well, now that we've settled the third kingdom well enough - which is now a Grand Duchy of Clarines."

"Which she's the Grand Duchess of," Henry growled from in front of them, still a bit put out.

"That's rather a lot of responsibility," Noriko looked at Ilena with wide eyes.

"Do they have such things where you come from?" Ilena asked politely.

"Well...yes and no. Some countries do, but not my own, but where Izark is from we worked with the nobility and kings of a number of countries. Grand Duke Jeida was a good friend of ours, as was his wife, so we are familiar with the level of effort that title brings." Noriko said in a friendly way.

The tenor of the whole group changed. The four guards relaxed after a surprised pause. Ilena and Obi just stayed surprised. Izark decided that Liam never let anything show, so he must be just as surprised. He understood that very well. He was also surprised, actually, but not at the titles. He looked around one more time, then said, "I'm sorry to not understand the customs here, but do all nobility walk, particularly the city streets at night?"

That brought back the group with a bit of a jolt. Humor lit everyone. Obi smiled at Izark, "No. Just us. We enjoy the walk as it's a bit of freedom from the castle walls. Neither of us grew up in the castle walls so occasionally we have to get out to breathe. Walking is a good excuse to take longer to get back."

Izark and Noriko both nodded. "Walking is very freeing," Noriko sighed. "It's been a while, actually. We used to walk, or ride, quite a bit in the early years."

"Ride?" Ilena was on that immediately, enough to make Izark draw back just a bit. "So you ride also?"

Obi tugged at Ilena, chuckling. "I doubt in that way, Ilena." He looked at his guests. "She rides competitively, or to escape, or to just sleep."

"Sleep?" Noriko asked a bit blankly, then shook her head. "No, I just learned enough to stay on and move forward. I actually prefer walking, to be honest."

"Oh," Ilena was a bit disappointed, but then smiled. "That's okay. As long as you know how. Master Zen and his aides," she paused to scowl at Obi, "wouldn't let Mistress Shirayuki learn to ride for herself until I came along and forced it."

"Ah...I'm sorry," Noriko said, "may I ask another question out of ignorance?"

Ilena gave her a look. "Miss Noriko. You do not come from here. Ask away without apology. I will not be offended. I am a teacher, remember?"

Noriko gave her a look back. Izark could see she was fighting a smile. She did finally settle for just a nod. "Of course. Thank you. If you are a Second Princess and a Grand Duchess, why do you have a master and a mistress?"

Grins all around at that one, Izark noticed. This group was as relaxed as the group of friends they'd had in his world, made up of common animal keepers all the way up to the Grand Duke. His stride relaxed a little more. "That is rather a long story, actually," Ilena answered. "I will tell you it is because Obi started it and I continued it. From the beginning, when Zen took Obi's reins, Obi has called him 'Master' and Shirayuki 'Mistress'. When I came, I needed to learn to follow, not just lead, and Obi taught me. Also, I already wanted to serve Zen and walk beside Obi behind Shirayuki, so in order to remind myself that was where I wanted to be, I called Shirayuki 'Mistress Shirayuki', and when Zen made me his Head of Intelligence, I wanted to make sure he understood his own place, so took to calling him Master Zen. It has rather stuck, even though he is my brother and she was a commoner from the beginning." Ilena shrugged. "We still follow behind Mistress Shirayuki when necessary, and Master Zen still commands us, so it is also still appropriate, though they do occasionally complain that time has certainly overcome the titles. Many find it odd that a Prince and Princess of the realm call another Prince and Princess of the realm by that way."

Noriko nodded. "In my country, we call each other by the titles often. I call my older brother by that title of 'Older Brother' more often than not, and he calls me 'Little Sister'." Izark tightened his hold on her hand. To think of such things still made her sad. She squeezed back and looked at him with a smile to say she was okay.

"Oh, that's how I do it, too!" Obi said expressively. "I call the King, 'King Brother', and their mother, 'Queen Mother' - though most people do now that she has stepped down, and the King's wife is 'Queen Sister'."

Noriko smiled her light smile at Obi, matching him. "That sounds familiar. I like it, though ...do they?"

Obi thought about that. "Well, it doesn't matter to me if they do or not, really. If it teases them that's just as good."

Izark rolled his eyes, then noticed he wasn't the only one and he had to hide a grin. "This...is rather like...coming home," he said quietly.

Noriko looked up at him in surprise, then nodded as a slow smile spread across her face. "It is, isn't it," she answered.

There was silence for a moment, then Ilena said quietly, "If we can be that for you, then I am glad."

"Ah...Mother's heart's been touched." Marcus looked over at Izark from his position diagonally in front of them. "I think you've just been adopted, too." Izark looked at him confused but only got a smile back.

After a bit of quiet walking, Ilena asked, "Izark, what do you do?"

Izark looked up at the sky. "That answer is probably as long as your's that you're waiting to tell us. Will it suffice to tell you that I began as a wandering swordsman for hire?"

Ilena thought about it, then asked, "Who is your current employer?"

Izark looked at Noriko. She gave him her look of complete trust. He smiled at her. "Probably you. ...But it's whoever the World of Light wants me to work for, really." He put out the last a little concerned, wanting to know how far this world had come, but knowing it might get them into trouble.

The reaction of the guards said they didn't know about the world of light and Noriko sagged just a little, but Obi surprised them with a soft musing comment. "I always wondered if there was something behind the light I see."

Noriko looked at Izark, then cautiously asked, "Where do you see the light, Lord Obi?"

He looked at her quickly. "Just Obi, please." Noriko nodded in surprise. He went back to his musing. "Master and Mistress are suns, bright lights in the sky, though Master can get dark if he wants to. Mistress never does - just stern. I thought Ilena was a sun, too, at first, but her dark side is as dark as mine. We are moons. Sometimes very light, sometimes partial light, occasionally dark." He waved a hand around at their guards. "The Children are lesser moons. Ilena is the brightest of the moons." He looked over at Noriko closely. "You are probably a sun, but your man Izark...," Obi looked at him and the glint was a little challenging. "Was almost no light at all, until you came to show it to him. Now, he is a moon, that reflects your sun, the same as I reflect the suns who surround me. Without the suns, or my bright moon," Obi looked at his wife tenderly, "he and I..., we would be only darkness."

Izark's hand involuntarily held Noriko's more tightly and warmly. Noriko put her other hand on his arm and rubbed it gently. "You have a good grasp of it, I think, Obi," Izark said quietly. "In my world, I was to become the bringer of darkness to the entire world. Noriko was sent to help me reach the light so that my world would be spared. The World of Light has used us since then to bring light to other worlds in danger of darkness overtaking them. We don't know why we're here, but we were brought directly to you." He looked over to the royals, who had turned to look at him with wide eyes. Soberly he said, "If you haven't see darkness yet, then we are likely here to prevent it from overtaking this world before it can begin."

Ilena and Obi breathed finally and Ilena looked at Obi soberly, a very sad look on her face. "It's hard to believe that we would need help."

The guards around her nodded. "Mother is very strong," Petroi said, his light voice strong and calm, almost soothing, surprising Izark.

Thayne added, "And with Master Zen working with her, together they represent a very strong front. It's a worrisome thing to think that isn't enough."

Ilena was looking up into the sky. She was gone for a long time, Obi being her eyes for the walking. When she returned, she shook her head. "We will have to wait and see. I can't see it yet."

"Are you a seer?" Noriko asked tentatively, but she had been given permission to ask her questions.

"A 'seer'?" Ilena asked.

"Ah...someone who can see the future."

Ilena shook her head. "There is no fortune telling here. My 'seeing' is the seeing of kings. In my head, I have a 'board', like a chess board. On it is all the people who I direct and know, and all of the people that will affect Wilant and the lands and people I need to protect. I am the Minister of Intelligence for Wilant and Tarc, the Duchy, because I need as much information as possible to have a correct board and be able to correctly predict the effect of actions taken in the present. The board of the king is greater, as he has to maintain it for all of Clarines to protect it. He can see out many tens of years, even perhaps to over one hundred. I see out tens, but perhaps really only forty reliably and fifty to sixty hazily."

She paused. Izark was impressed, though Noriko was nodding. She ran her own life like that, Izark knew from experience. "I wonder...," Ilena mused. She turned a sideways look on Obi. "I think it's time to communicate with Izana. He has a piece I need but have missed."

Izark felt on the wind, or rather heard, the whispers again and all the heads around them paused to listen to it. Ilena sent words back, then sighed. "Well...things will move again before I am ready." Obi patted her hand consolingly. She looked back at Izark. "I think I will hire you. The king is already on his way here. He will arrive at Wilant Castle in two days. If I don't hire you first, he will. You came to me, I'd like to keep you."

Izark nodded philosophically. "We only need housing, proper clothing, food, enough to purchase necessary items while we are here. Once we leave, it won't go with us."

Ilena nodded as if it was expected. "Well, then consider yourselves adopted. We'll cram you in somewhere."

There was a bit of silence, then Noriko giggled. They looked at her a bit aghast. "Sorry," she giggled. "You made it sound like you are taking us to a house full of orphan children you've adopted. All I could see were children of a wide range of ages running around, climbing the furniture and walls."

The surprised looks turned to soft smiles on Obi and Ilena and wide grins on the guards. "Well...you wouldn't be wrong, really," Ilena said softly, the light shining from her.

Marcus shook his head. "You'd be pretty much on the mark...except some of them are their own, really, and therefore don't qualify as orphans. ...The 'new' Regent's Wing still wasn't big enough."

Obi sighed. "No, it wasn't."

Liam chuckled slightly behind them. "Really, all of the northern countries are her home, you know. I'm not sure even the three countries are big enough for all of her Children."

Ilena looked up at the sky again and Noriko and Izark could both see it. She glowed, and when they looked at her heart, the door at the nexus to the world of light was open and the light spilled out from it, like it did for Noriko. "No...it isn't big enough...but that's because there are so many more Children than the ones in the three countries. Tanbarn, Altherly, even out towards Espanole...and who knows how far." She sighed sadly, "...and the ones in Brulac."

Noriko and Izark were surprised by the shadow that covered her. Her door was still open. Obi reached up a hand and brushed her hair, then held the back of his hand against her cheek. She turned and hid her eyes in it for a few breaths, then made them all stop while he wrapped his arms around her and held her. Noriko looked up at Izark, worried, then stepped over and put her hand on Ilena's arm gently.

"Ilena," Noriko called her. "You are feeling the sorrow of the World of Light and those in it who are calling out to have light restored so that they can be free of the darkness."

Obi nodded at her. "She often feels this. That's why we call her Mother. She is Mother to all who seek the light, and her calling has always been to bring them into the light, to help them come out of the darkness. She lived in darkness herself for a very long time so she understands."

Izark straightened in surprise. "She has learned empathy, then."

Obi nodded soberly again. "In great measure, I would think."

Izark walked to the other side of the two. "Ilena, empathy opens the door to the world of light. It is already opened in you. Use the strength of the world of light to recover." He frowned. It wasn't right, but he didn't know how to say it.

"Mmm...I think you might think this way," Noriko said thoughtfully. "All creatures, people, things exist in the world of light already, and it exists in them. Each one who is connected to it desires the light and the peace and joy it brings. Because the strength of 'family' exists there, the family made up of all creation, you can be sure that the desires of all that seek the light will help you and support you. You can trust that the outcome will be the outcome that the light desires and seeks. All that is dark tears itself apart. It may appear strong, but it is illusion. In the end, it must fall. The creatures of light require it so they can live. When you rely on the people and things around you that want to live, to have light, you have strength, and therefore hope, unmeasured. We all must do our part, whatever it is, but when we each have done it, then we know all will be well in the end, even if we have to walk through very painful things before then." Izark and Noriko both hurt, remembering their own dark times, but they stood calmly, trying to help Ilena and Obi.

There was a nearly audible *click*. Obi reacted with an almost violent jump, though he kept his arms around his wife, and gave a light gasp. "Ilena. Ilena. Are you okay?" he asked quietly, urgently.

She looked up at him puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be, Obi? Those were very nice words."

"You clicked again," he said, almost hurt.

Ilena paused and looked inside again, then shook her head. "I think we all just got put on someone else's board. That's what it feels like, anyway." She looked at Noriko with a small smile. "Maybe, it was the World of Light's board."

Noriko looked at her, blinking, then she smiled. "That...is the best board to be on."

Ilena looked back and her face was soft. "Yes, it is. We've been there before, when we took Tarc peaceably so that we could have as few deaths as possible, though some were still required, sadly. I don't have the same position this time, though. I was in a strong position to help them."

Noriko looked between Ilena and Obi to Izark. "Then perhaps that's why we're here this time. Izark...is physically connected to the world of light. Because he chose light in his world, he is...of the light...his strength to defend and protect comes directly from the World of Light. Where there is a great need, we are sent to help those of the light who cry out for the help. Also, hopefully with the least casualties. We have learned the light wishes for all to return to it, even to the point of calling to the most dark of it's children at the very end, and beyond, but it is better for it to happen before too many children are lost in the dark. And the more that can live, and return to the light, the stronger the light is, the more peace and joy in the world there is."

Ilena let go of Obi and immediately embraced Noriko, who was startled, though eventually she took Ilena in an awkward embrace. She wasn't much for hugs. As Izark watched, Ilena's light recovered slowly until she was calm and there wasn't a shadow. He relaxed and noticed Obi did also. He was surprised when the guards did as well. They were all affected by her. He found it interesting. He turned to Obi. "Noriko, too, had children around her as if she were the mother of the orphanage."

Obi gave him a quiet smile. "So...does that make you Father in your world, the same as it does me in mine?"

Izark took a mental step back and blinked. Then he drew in a breath and sighed. "I suppose it does, though I hadn't considered it."

Obi nodded sagely. "Mother taught me to be Father first. But it was still an adjustment. Coming to suddenly understand that you are a parent of thousands when you aren't even married is rather...disconcerting."

Izark nodded. "Even after you're married for many years, it is..."

"Did you ever have your own?" Obi asked.

Izark shook his head. Sadly, for Noriko's sake, he said, "No. But always, always we were adopted."

Obi's smile was full of the soft light he carried. "And you've been so again. I would guess she's going to name you Aunt and Uncle." He tipped his head at Ilena questioningly, now that she was mostly recovered.

"How old are you two?" Ilena asked. "You look younger than us, but close."

Izark and Noriko looked at each other and smiled. "We get to pick. We're just past the middle of our third lifetime, I think." Izark answered.

The others looked like they'd been hit in the gut. Ilena recovered first. "Then, Big Brother and Big Sister, otherwise I'll get weird looks for calling you Great Grandparents."

Noriko and Izark both waved hands of rejection. "Please, not that," Noriko begged. "At any age, we all stop aging at the early twenties. We'll take Big Sister and Big Brother."

They got walking again. "Have you been world travelling the whole time?" Ilena asked, her professor's mind caught.

"No," Noriko answered. "We spent the first lifetime in Izark's world, and the second in mine, as our gift for the things we did in the first one. Since then it's only been for as long as necessary to restore light to whatever world we're in."

"Oh," Ilena was a bit disappointed. Obi looked it also. "Well, before you leave us, tell the World of Light it has to let us have the obligatory celebration." Noriko looked at Ilena, confused, and she elaborated. "When we're all done, we return home and Obi and Mistress Shirayuki and Petroi and Justinian go to the kitchen and make all of our favorite foods and we gather as a family and sit and just enjoy being together again as just family, no hats, no titles, no responsibilities. It helps us heal and be able to move on. I'd not be able to do that without you, really, since you're going to start with us. We can have it be your farewell party, though I'll already miss you terribly."

Noriko laughed lightly. "Don't miss us yet. We just got here. ...but I think if that is your typical reward, it will reward you with that again. The world of light is very kind and loving. We have been blessed many times for our small efforts, and Izark's slightly larger ones."

"Well, it's had its costs, too," Izark said dryly. "Though they haven't been as bad as the first time's costs, for which I am grateful."

Noriko nodded agreement. "It wasn't fun watching Izark nearly die."

"Same for you," he said to her softly.

"That does sound rather extreme," Obi shuddered.

"Though we've gone through the same here," Ilena pointed out.

"True," Obi said quietly.

They completed the walk to the castle in quiet companionship, though Izark found it odd to so suddenly be accepted.


	2. Discovery

CHAPTER 2 Discovery

It wasn't a quiet awakening, that's for sure. Izark groaned and rolled over onto his stomach and covered his head with his pillow. "If this is what it's like to have kids, I'm glad we didn't have any."

Noriko laughed and tugged on his pillow. "Come on, sleepy head. You know we have to get right into the daily cycle or we won't ever be on even footing." She slipped out of bed, leaving the blanket off him somewhat to make him cold enough to wake up. He frowned to himself, still too tired to be in a good mood, even if she was right. "Oh, they've left us clothes. I wonder if that's part of being in a castle. I didn't even hear them come in."

"I did," Izark groaned. "Or rather, felt him. He's quiet and all, but he has a rainbow signature. It was just different enough it woke me up." He rolled over and sat up, putting his hand to his head. "He wasn't here long, though. Just enough to drop of the clothes and pick ours up...I presume to clean them."

Noriko nodded absently. She was holding up the clothes, looking at them closely. He knew she loved traditional clothing of the different places they went. It looked like here it wouldn't be quite as fun for her, since it was so close to her own world's standard clothing. "It looks like we can figure out fastenings, etc., easily. I'm not sure what to make of it though, really." She put down what she was holding and picked up the other set, looked at them, then set them down absently. "Let's get cleaned up first."

Izark slipped out of bed and followed her into the bath room. They'd been surprised to find those also very Earth-like. Showers and running water. The first since Earth, actually. Ilena had come in and explained how to use them, saying they were new inventions for this world. Noriko had been excited to see them, and, privately, so had Izark. That was one luxury he had really enjoyed on Earth, having the hot water massage his muscles and clean him off - really clean, not sitting in water that just got dirtier and dirtier.

Noriko had applied the most appropriate word to this 'Regent's Wing': 'apartment complex', though 'hotel' would work also, if you considered each room a suite. There was an upstairs and a downstairs, one bath room, bedrooms and sitting rooms were determined by family, they'd been told, and each family had one suite. Ilena had, somewhat embarrassed, admitted the royal suites were larger than the others, but Noriko and Izark completely understood that. That was normal for the nobility to have the larger spaces. They needed them to have calm and quiet, which they didn't often get. The two of them were happy to have a small suite, since it was just the two of them, and temporarily. So for them, it was more 'hotel suite'.

When they were clean, they went back to the clothing. Under garments were fairly standard. At least not nethanderal, but they'd not been called to any early worlds yet anyway.

Noriko sighed as she pulled on her underpants. Izark raised an eyebrow at her. She gave him a wry look. "I do wish, since we can't have children anyway, the World of Light would give up and let me not have periods any more. Would make life far more convenient."

He didn't blush anymore at that topic. He'd been married to her two full lifetimes now, plus. "You would forget you were a woman then, wouldn't you?" he teased.

She froze and stared at him, then tossed her head with a snort. "Men." He grinned to himself. "World of light must be male," she muttered, pulling on her shirt.

"No, it keeps making Mothers," he said. "That makes it female."

She looked up at him surprised. "There's you and Obi. He said you're Fathers."

Izark shook his head as he pulled on his shirt. He was surprised it fit so well. Normally they came just a little too snug around the chest and shoulders. He was tall enough most people thought his 'slender' extended to a lack of shoulder and arm muscles. "No. The Mothers already are connected to the world of light, and have to bring the Fathers to it. We may naturally connect and understand it, but we don't start there."

He could tell Noriko was considering it. "Well, that may be true, but really it's a moot point. The World of Light is both and none of the sexes. It's sex-less since it contains all."

Izark didn't answer, he was trying to figure out the buckle on the pants. Noriko paused, then walked over to help. "I think it goes like this." It was odd to have buckles instead of buttons, or the snaps of Earth that were so convenient. Personally Izark prefered the ties of his own world. Simple and easy. This shirt had ties, but the pants and jacket had buckles. He wondered briefly if Noriko would introduce buttons if they stayed long enough. She'd immediately introduced safety pins in his world to make that same woman's problem a little easier for her to deal with.

"Did Ilena think to ask what you wanted?" Izark asked Noriko. She was still just in a shirt.

She looked back at the bed and sighed. "They brought both, the skirt and the pants, but since it's a uniform, I'm not sure which would be more appropriate to whatever station I'm supposed to have here. I'm not a warrior after all, even for having learned self-defense and knife."

Izark grabbed her and held her closely. "I like what you're in right now just fine," he murmured in her ear.

"Izark!" Noriko scolded, slapping him lightly on the chest. "Then I'd have to stay in the room and never go out."

He knew his eyes changed as he looked at her and he was pleased. "That'd be okay with me, ...treasure."

She froze then looked up at his eyes. She was caught, again, as always, even after this many lifetimes. When she could breathe again, she reached up and put her hand on the side of his face. "Sapphire blue...you can do it here, Izark. And you started a grey-blue. This world must be close to the world of light, like yours."

He bent down and took her lips, wanting her soft explosion, and she willingly gave it. It was one of the constants that helped him remain sane as they world-hopped. He was certain that if the world of light had not allowed Noriko to come with him on this eternal journey, he would have destroyed worlds instead of helped them. He still might if one of them killed her. They might be here for a good purpose, but she was still mortal and he still had to protect her. The one good thing was that everyone they had met the night before was also, and looked insanely strong, for mortals. It might be okay, maybe. He tried not to worry.

She slipped her arms around him as he let the sapphire blue go and held him, sending her faith and hope and assurance to him, feeling his worry anyway. Their emotional connection was here with them, too. He'd already checked, though. They could see the doors to the world of light, but they couldn't get through them here. Perhaps with some effort they might. That was another reason he'd been intruiged that Ilena could, but didn't know it.

He explained it to Noriko as he worked on his jacket and she finally picked to wear the skirt after determining the pants weren't as comfortable as she would have liked. Noriko, as the researcher, was the one to figure out the world of light. She would be able to figure out how to get there, if they could, in this world. He could still draw on that strength, but he wouldn't be able to fly. That was probably okay. It didn't look like that kind of power was in this world. He was usually limited by the world they entered. Noriko had explained that the world of light had to let him live by the physical laws of whatever world they were in. He still had to learn what they were in each world, though, and that would need to be part of today's activities.

He'd been given a sword belt that would work with his uniform and he studied it until he figured out how to attach his sword to it. He was relieved to have it by his side in this world. It had been hard to not have it for a whole life-time in Noriko's 'modern' world. He should probably have gotten used to it in that time, but having it by his side the whole life-time before that...well, he would just rather have it. "Ah!" he looked up suddenly, "Did you come with a knife this time?"

Noriko shook her head. "Still none?" he asked disconcerted. She'd learned knife in his world, and he'd kept her practicing it in hers, though she hadn't much since they both had expected to die there. In the following world they'd found one again as soon as possible, but it wouldn't come through with her. It frustrated him. He really didn't want to be put in a position when they landed that she needed one. Though so far this landing was the first one that might have had negative consequences.

"Oh, look, they gave us boots, too," she said, picking up the two pairs near the door.

"Good. The world of light is kind and generous, but it keeps giving us the worn out shoes." He grumbled mildly, still upset about the knife.

Noriko sat on a chair and pulled on her boots. "How do they know our sizes so well?" she asked.

He looked up at her. "I wondered that, too. The shirt fit right, and the jacket does, too."

He sat next to her and picked up a boot, looking at it. It laced, like most boots, but didn't lace up the leg like his did. His pants would be loose, like he didn't like. He sighed slightly, then pulled it on. They fit. He shook his head. "They fit, too," he said for Noriko's sake, though he wasn't paying much attention.

There was a loud bell ringing out in the couryard and suddenly there was a stampede of humanity running past...okay, not that bad, but it was certainly noisy as people left apartments and headed for the dining room. Izark rolled his eyes and Noriko looked at him sympathetically. Friends were nice. Large groups all the time, not so much. It was another thing he would have thought he'd be used to by now, but it really only made him want to go up on the roof.

He stood and Noriko held out her hand for his. He slipped his into hers, feeling her small warmth, enclosing it protectively in his larger hand. He held it gently as he pulled her toward him to kiss her soft lips again. "I'm glad we're still together," he said softly, meaning it.

Noriko's lips smiled against his cheek. "Me, too. It made me more sad to think of you being alone forever, than even missing my family."

"Me, too," he finally admitted, dropping his head to her shoulder. "As much as I still get afraid of losing you to these mortal battles, I'd far rather have you with me."

Noriko held his head to her until he recovered, kissed his cheek and led them to the door.

Outside, they followed after the last of the breakfast-goers. It was still barely sunrise. Izark groaned. "Really. We have to be up before the sun?"

"They are royalty," Noriko scolded him gently. "I would imagine they have very full days."

Izark sighed. "I was really spoiled in your world, wasn't I?"

Noriko chuckled. "Probably. Pay ahead?"

"Probably."

They walked the courtyard to the far wall, where there was a tower built into the side of the compound. The walls were high around the outside of it, but inside were the apartments. Inside that was a garden that ran the central length of the 'wing'. Two trees were set at either end with benches under them. The central part of the courtyard had a gazebo with more seating. Izark found it interesting that one could jump from the courtyard to a roof, then to the higher roof at the wall. It would be easily defensible. The outside walls were two and a half stories of sheer rock, made to have little finger hold. The tower was the only outcropping from the wall and at the top was a wide overhang that made it impossible to enter from. The top of the tower had a series of paintings around it. Here at the base, they'd been told was the dining hall, with a small kitchen attached. There were apparently other rooms above.

When they entered, it was cafeteria style. They got in line at the end and collected their food silently, though they thanked the server at the end, a thin man, about Noriko's size, who looked shyly at them. He was fair and somewhat feminine in looks and if you looked too long, beautiful in an etherial sort of way.

 _'He reminds me of Irktule_ ,' Noriko said. Irktule was a tree spirit who had helped them in Izark's world.

Izark looked at him without looking at him. _'I think he's the one who brought the clothes. He feels the same, anyway.'_ He turned to look at the group, suddenly wanting to find whatever table had lots of space around it.

He didn't get the opportunity. His tray was slipped out of his hands and an arm interlaced with his. "Good morning, Izark. We've saved you a place with us."

He sighed to himself. "Good morning, Princess Ilena." She clicked her tongue at him. He looked at her drolly.

She grinned. "You really are a big brother, aren't you?" He chose, 'no comment', and she laughed.

"Good morning, Miss Noriko," Obi's voice came from behind him. Izark waited for them to come level, holding Ilena firmly in place until then. Obi had also taken Noriko's tray and was escorting her similarly. Noriko smiled with her eyes at Izark. When they were level, then Izark let Ilena lead them on.

"Hmm," Ilena said quietly at his side. "You treat her like Obi treats Mistress Shirayuki - which is like he's treating her now, by the way. Overprotective."

Izark looked at Ilena. "I get that a lot."

Ilena nodded. "Good. She deserves it, and so does your heart."

Izark raised an eyebrow at her. "But you're the first to say that."

Ilena looked at him seriously. "If we don't protect our hearts, we can fall, and we who are necessary to so many can't afford to fall. I will do what I can to help you protect her, the same as we do for each other, and particularly for Mistress Shirayuki."

Izark almost wept in relief. "Thank you, Ilena. ...I will be much more effective that way."

Ilena nodded knowingly. "We will talk more about such things later. Is there anything you need right away, though?"

"A fighting knife for Noriko. She isn't a warrior, but she has learned to protect herself that way to some degree."

Ilena looked at him and nodded. "That's my weapon of choice as well." She turned at the waist on the next step so he could see her opposite hip where there were two blades on her belt - sword and knife. "We'll get her one today."

"Also, each world is a little different. We need to know what skills I have here and what I don't."

Ilena's eyes lit a little. "We'd like to know what you can do also. I'll try to fit in some time at the list. You'd probably like to know what we can do as well." Izark hesitated, then gave one nod. He wasn't sure he wanted everyone to watch him try his non-standard skills. She noted the hesitation, but let it slide.

She slipped his tray down on the table at an empty place in the middle of the activity. He wasn't sure he liked that, but it would have to do for today at least. Obi slipped Noriko's tray down, but they kept the four of them standing.

Obi let out a whistle that was loud even in this large room and everyone settled down, though most kept eating. "Everyone," Ilena said kindly, "this is Izark kia Tarj and Noriko Taichiki, visitors to our world and country since last night. I've invited them to join us while they are here, for my own purposes. They are already part of the Family, having fit right in, as Big Brother and Big Sister, please welcome them kindly." There was a general call of "Welcome". Noriko and Izark both nodded their thanks. "They've already met my half, except the kids and staff." She looked a challenge at Izark. "How well do you memorize?"

Izark shook his head. "It will take me time, I'm afraid. Noriko is better."

"Ah, this many, though...," Noriko sounded a bit daunted.

"Well, hearing them many times will help more than hurt, but everyone feel free to introduce yourselves multiple times until they get it. For now, you need to know that the littlest ones are 'boys' and that's good enough until they stomp their feet and insist you know their names. And you need to be properly introduced," she looked at the people directly in front of them, across the table. Those two were the most striking of the crowd, actually. "Master Zen, Mistress Shirayuki, these are the two I was talking about earlier."

Izark bowed to the two across the table and Noriko followed him with a curtsey. "Thank you for welcoming us to your home and castle, Regent, Princess," Izark said solemnly.

"We're glad to have you, I think," the white haired, very blue eyed young man said. "I'll try to set aside time to talk with you later, but today's schedule is already full until evening. Unless we're in public, please call me Zen." His demeanor was calm and kind, but slightly aloof, like most rulers. His eyes were warm for Ilena though, and for Obi when he looked over to Noriko and accepted her gratitude as well.

Izark's eyes went to the woman next to him. Her hair was as red as a flaming sunset and demanded attention from the eyes. Her features were petite and calm and her eyes were brilliant green, catching his eyes.

"Oh, dear," Ilena's soft voice came from beside him, but he couldn't tear away.

He heard Obi chuckle. "Should we have seated them opposite?"

"No, I think that would be worse," Ilena commented dryly. A hand appeared in front of Izark's eyes and he started. He glanced at Ilena his eyes wide, then looked at Noriko, chagrined. She was looking guilty as well, with Obi's hand in front of her eyes.

"Ah...blue?" he asked her. She nodded sadly, then looked up at him and a question wrinkle appeared on her face. He looked just as guilty. "Green." She looked at him just a little impatiently, then moved Obi's hand and looked at Shirayuki. Her eyes went wide. "No. Red _and_ green." She put Obi's hand back and the people around them laughed a little, slightly embarrassed.

Izark sighed and reached for Ilena's wrist gently. "I'll explain, but by showing you. Obi, please keep her eyes covered." He waited until Noriko's eyes were actually covered, then moved Ilena's hand. He looked into the sky blue eyes in front of his and turned his eye color slowly through all the blues until he got to the sapphire blue, darker than Zen's own, though he passed through that as well. "It's her favorite color," he said apologetically. "And, it's my first time to see green ones and understand what she sees in the blue." He let the blue fade again to their natural color in this world. "I can't keep them blue, or she gets too lost. We'll try to not stare." He wasn't sure they would be able to do it, though.

"Izark, I wonder if it's because of the connection to the world of light," Noriko said. "Most eyes aren't as brilliant as the three of yours. But your worlds are closer to the world of light than mine was. Obi said you are suns, and that would make sense. When Izark is fully light, that's when his eyes are like that."

"Hmm...that does make sense," Obi said, "but I think we will have to have you four on the same side of the table, so that you can actually eat." They heard things being rearranged. When the hands were finally removed, the spaces in front of them, on the other side, had plates but were empty and the other royals were walking down to the other end of the table to come around. "While they're moving, you should also know two more, at least." He pointed to the two that would be next to him when he moved to the other side and they politely looked up. "He is Mister, to me, Mitsuhide to you. She is Miss Kiki to me, Kiki to you if she lets you. They follow Master and will test your strength and suitability, because that's what Mister does. He has followed Master since Master was a young prince."

Izark bowed to them as well. "Please take care of us." Noriko curtseyed. She always followed his lead since he was the one who did most of the diplomacy in his world while she did the research.

Kiki smiled, like Izark, mostly with her eyes, the rest of her face a mask, though it looked more relaxed than it might have in the past. "They've already passed my test. They're castle trained."

"Is that really sufficient, Miss Kiki?" Izark raised an eyebrow at her.

He heard a chuckle and turned to see Zen hiding his smile with his hand. "Ah, Kiki, I think you're meeting your match," Zen teased.

Izark looked just a little worridly back at Kiki, but she only smiled calmly, again in a slight way. "That's even better, Zen, isn't it?"

Shirayuki giggled now and Ilena and Obi left to head for their breafast on the other side. Izark waited for the Regent and his wife to sit, then sat, Noriko following his lead again. Noriko was across from Ilena, Izark from Obi and next to Zen, with Shirayuki on the far side. He was able to relax a little better with that arrangement, it was true. It put Obi and Ilena's guards on this side, but no one seemed to mind much. Izark and Noriko spoke pleasantly when spoken to, but otherwise, just listened to the voices around them. This was the hardest part of being in a new place. It took time for the translation to work when they weren't being spoken directly to. That wouldn't begin for at least a week or more, if things continued to hold true. They often lost things they had to either pick up later, or specifically ask after and get strange looks for.

When sounds on the wind started, Izark looked up in surprise. Ilena was listening. "Ah, can you hear them, Izark?" Zen asked politely.

"Yes, Zen, but I don't understand them. Ilena said last night they were secret?"

Zen nodded. "It's the coded language she uses for her intelligence gathering. _We_ all know about it, of course, but you were in a public location last night."

Izark nodded his understanding. That made sense. He listened a little longer. "Are there four voices at once?" he finally asked, his curiosity burning.

Zen tipped his head. "At least. Obi says she can listen to about eight at a time, though that seems extreme to me. I can only follow about two and keep track of them." He frowned at Ilena. "Isn't it a bit early?"

Izark was surprised that translated. Ilena's glazed eyes moved to Zen, but she didn't answer just yet. It seemed it was enough in number coming in that getting things back out wasn't quite possible.

"Yes, Master," Obi answered instead, "it's the update on King Brother's progress. They are getting ready...or rather have likely already left the inn."

Izark's eyes narrowed. ' _Noriko, are you understanding their words to each other?'_

Her hand tenatively reached for his knee. ' _Yes, that exchange I did.'_

He reached for her hand also. "Is the King sufficiently protected?" he asked. "We should not have understood that exchange. It was important."

The rest of the group stopped and stared at him. Ilena's tones went out immediately, interrupting the incoming flow. She had a scowl on her face. "Yes, his Minister of Intelligence is very particular about security, but they are about to pass through the lands closest to Brulac." She looked at Zen, then back at Izark. "My Children are already watching that area, but I've just sent a request that they all check in. That will let us know if any of them are compromised. They don't answer if they are dead, or if there is an enemy close enough to discover them if they sing." She pushed back from the table and picked up her plate and cup. "I'm going upstairs." She left them. Obi began eating quickly. Liam, farther down the table rose and took his plate to the dish bin and followed her to a door set in the wall. Izark saw there were stairs going up on the other side.

Zen had paused, and he looked worridly at his plate, then calmly returned to finish eating. "You only understand when we speak directly to you?" he asked.

Izark paused. He'd forgotten that this one hadn't been with them last night. He sighed internally. "Yes, at least for the first little while and our brains rewire, as Noriko puts it." He decided he'd better finish eating quickly as well and focused on that. "How far away is the king?" he asked.

"A day and three quarters at a normal horse pace. Obi, how are they coming?"

"All by horse, I believe, Master. I don't think he's bringing Queen Sister." Obi was also eating quickly.

Noriko held Izark's hand. ' _You don't really have to go running, really, Izark. That's a long ways.'_

He kept eating. ' _It is, but... If they run this way, I may be able to meet them half-way.'_

 _'You don't know what your skills here are yet,'_ Noriko argued. ' _What if you can't run?'_

He paused long enough to lift an eyebrow at her. ' _You know that's the one I get to keep, except in your world.'_

Her shoulders slumped dejectedly. ' _I know, but..._.'

 _'They've promised to keep you safe for me, and if I can bring the King here safely, that may make all the difference, you know.'_

Noriko did know. They'd done it already twice. ' _Well, at least talk to Ilena first before you go running off. And you need a map, too, and your bearings.'_

 _'True.'_

Noriko went back to eating. As soon as Izark was done, he stood and excused himself. Obi was up with him. Together they walked quickly to the door in the wall and the stairs.

Noriko sighed. Izark was always running off to the rescue, leaving her behind. He'd be fine, really. It was her own safety he worried about the most, but that didn't mean she didn't worry about him. It wouldn't do for him to help the King escape and then get captured himself. She hoped he would remember that.

"Izark is serious about his duties, I see," Zen said mildly, kindly _not_ looking at Noriko.

She kept a firm look on her own plate. "Yes. Extremely so. I often worry he is rushing into things too quickly, though he has enough experience as a guard and wandering swordsman to plan carefully and be safe. I just wish it didn't _feel_ like rushing ahead, since that's what he does, is move quickly. ...And, we don't know what he can and can't do yet here." Izark had already given away too much in this room, but it really did feel like one big family. "Ah, what has Ilena told you already about us?"

Zen paused to take a drink. "That you're from another world, which is more difficult for me to believe than them. They are wild and take things at face value very easily. But Ilena tests quickly and knows people, so I trust her judgement of your characters at least, enough to let you eat with me." He smiled slightly at his plate.

Noriko dipped her head. "Thank you. She is very...good." It was the only way she could say it with the limited knowledge she shared with Zen.

"Well, mostly," he agreed. That made Noriko remember that Obi had called Ilena a moon.

"Oh, right," she mumbled. "Well, she has been very kind to us." She paused, then added rather boldly, "and has passed our tests."

Zen paused, then continued to eat. Noriko had the sense he was laughing silently, but also respecting her right to say it. "Of course, having him change his eye color right in front of me was different. I take it in his own 'world' he can do more than that?"

"Yes," Noriko wasn't really willing to give more than that right now. Even in this world, a top leader who knew what he had might lead to imprisonment and coersion, "but in most other worlds, no. This one is more like mine, where technology and realism seems more prevalent." It wasn't necessarily true since she hadn't seen enough to say, but she was going to assume it anyway. "He says he can hear voices on the wind...which I assume is what you were talking about earlier. That we can't do in my world, but that's all I've seen different. Likely he will be fairly restricted here, like in mine. A simple change of eye color seems equivalent to the whispers. Is there anything else that I might consider unusual that would help us know?" Turning questions around was a tactic she had learned in the university, and then needed to use heavily in her own world to distract people from Izark's peculiarities.

Zen was quiet as he considered the question. "Well...I can't think of anything. That is rather peculiar to Ilena, who has trained her people to it. Of course, I'm coming at it from the perspective of everything is normal."

Noriko lifted her head, then remembered to not look at him directly. "Well, that's true enough," she commented and returned to her meal, which was nearly finished. When Zen stood, his guards did as well. Noriko stood to follow them, nodding at Shirayuki. "If you don't mind," she said to the princess, "I'll go up also. I want to make sure he's okay." She risked looking up, but didn't look into the green eyes. They didn't capture her as badly as the blue did, but they were still difficult to not stare into.

She was able to see the smile. "No, I understand. We'll come up in a minute, I suspect. Ilena should be receiving the return report shortly."

Noriko curtseyed, "Thank you," she hurried to put her dishes away and followed after Zen and his guards to go up the stairs as well. She really wasn't happy at all with how fast things had turned...though, it did fit with how fast they had been brought here. She wondered if something had happened rather suddenly in this world to change and need them sooner than anticipated, or even at all. They were surely with these people for a reason, and last night had seemed to indicate they were at least willing to work for the light, but there was still too much they didn't know yet. It would be too easy to make a fatal mistake.

She took a deep breath and slowed down just a bit. The room they were headed for seemed to be the one at the top and she hadn't done that many stairs in a while. She was glad they had been walking in the last world, though, so she was at least in shape. She idly wondered if she showed up in new worlds at this same age in the same shape as she entered Izark's world, or in the shape she was in when they were travelling in his world since the clothes were from then, or if she carried it over from the previous world. It was idle enough it got pushed to the back for analysis later, if she had idle time.

Right now, she really needed to consider her last thought. Would the world of light really have brought them here if a fatal mistake was likely? One was always _likely_ , she supposed. They had rather gotten used to the idea, though, that if one came, there was purpose behind it. But that had been mostly in Izark's world. She wasn't sure he was deathless in worlds like this, where they couldn't actually access directly the world of light. So far, they hadn't run into anything that would be life threatening, but here...that might be a distinct possibility, and if not here, then another world. At the same time, the world of light did protect them to some degree, but to what, she had no idea. She shook her head. She needed to talk to Izark and have him consider it with her. She did the deep thinking, but sometimes he had better insights.

She came out at the top, through another door they had left open for her. She was surprised to see the rising sun shining in through windows that went all the way around the room. She looked around at the sun spraying colored light through the windows that were the paintings on the outside. She stood stunned. ' _Noriko?'_ She couldn't even find Izark through the broken rainbow of light that dazzled her eyes. He moved swiftly to stand before her, his eyes worried. He gently took her shoulder in his hands and she let herself sink into the depths she was used to travelling to get to the world of light, using his touch as her anchor. He held her, feeling her go, understanding it, but not why.

Noriko descended through their surface layer of their phyisical connection, that let them know where each other was. It was slightly warped here in this world, but present. She needed to study that further. The next layer was the mental communication. It was strong, but seemed normal to how they had been in Izark's world. Then deeper, into the layer of emotions. She paused there. Her own tangle of emotions was confusing and their connection was a bit weak - not all bad since when it was strong they had a tendency to push each other to greater heights or depths than was useful - but sufficient they would be able to help each other if necessary. The major sudden emotions would certainly come through. Perhaps that's what had made Izark aware of her when she walked in, she wasn't sure.

Then she looked down at the last step - the door into the World of Light. She knew right where it was supposed to be. Knew how it felt to slip through it. It had become second nature in Izark's world, and wasn't something she ever forgot. She settled to her 'feet' in front of it and looked at it. Careful, she reached out and tried to draw a little of the power to her. Like Izark could manipulate his power of protection that was within him, she could manipulate the power of the light to a smaller degree. She cautiously put out her 'hand' and called the light to her, just a little of it. She looked at it dancing in her palm. It was light like she was used to, but...she gently let it go and it dissipated much slower than it should have. She carefully put her hand on the door, but didn't push on it, just felt through it, but not for long.

She moved back up throught the layers, thoughtful. When she arrived again, Izark had wrapped his arms around her, but wasn't panicked, just holding her patiently. She had called to him from each layer. When she arrived, she asked him, without looking in the room yet, ' _Did you hear the first call, from the emotions?'_

Izark hesitated, ' _Yes, but it seemed to be a niggling in the back of my brain until you called very loudly.'_

Noriko nodded. ' _And we talked clearly in the second layer.'_ Izark nodded. ' _And the top layer, did you feel me pull?'_

Izark was slower to answer this time. ' _No. I only felt a vague worry.'_

 _'Not even a sense of direction?'_ Noriko asked surprised. Izark shook his head and she could tell he was worried. Well, she was, too. They wouldn't know how to find each other if one got lost. _'That layer is twisted, warped. I would need to sit and meditate for a long time to understand what's going on there. The level of words is clear and fine. The emotions appear to be blanketed.'_ When she paused Izark nodded again, his hair brushing her cheek. ' _At the door...,'_ she took a breath and Izark paid close attention, ' _the door is closed, and I can call small amounts of light, but it is reluctant, and even more reluctant to leave once gathered. As if there is something that doesn't want it to return to the full light. It concentrates, with effort, but can't return well. And on the other side of the door, it felt like...like there was something wanting to snuff it out, something waiting to attack if I opened the door, to make it so I couldn't 'free' the light.'_

Izark held very still. ' _Izark, I'm worried. Things are moving too quickly, before we are ready to help. When the door wasn't open for you in my world, you would have died with me of old age except the world of light brought us to the next world. If your door is closed here, there is the possibility that you could die here of wounds. What does your connection to the world of light look like? Have you gone walking yet?'_ Izark's inner path was different from Noriko's because of what he was.

 _'I'll go look, now that you are here. Listen for me.'_ Noriko nodded. She held still while she felt Izark move down through his layers. There was a puzzling buzz around her, then a little later, ' _Noriko?'_

 _'I'm here, Izark,'_ she responded, knowing he was in the second layer. ' _I only got a funny buzzing of the energies around me from the first level.'_

 _'Hmm... I'm moving on.'_

She patiently waited, _feeling_ this time. Like Izark had described, she only got a sense that something might not be right until she was sure he was 'shouting'. She immediately sent her own strong emotions back, wanting to experiment with the other direction as well while he was there. Then there was quiet for a while before she felt him rising back up again. ' _Are you okay, Izark?'_ she asked him when he was about the second level.

 _'Yes, Noriko.'_ He moved on up until he was looking at her again. ' _It's as you say. Confusing in the first layer, clear in the second, difficult in the third.'_ He paused and she waited. ' _I had to protect myself below that, and couldn't go far. There is something definitely there. ...It feels like what the source of all evil felt like.'_

Noriko blinked and her heart sank. ' _Can it get into the world of light? I thought you destroyed it.'_

Izark was thoughtful. ' _Well, we thought that for the other demons also and they reappeared until we finally got rid of them. Also, those were men, and emotions held in place by the crystals. I wonder...if we freed a link in a chain when we destroyed the crystals...or if it fled here to this place and it's now trying again?'_

Noriko was thoughtful. ' _I'm not sure evil can be destroyed by us, Izark, not the source anyway. Evil has been placed here to help us learn empathy and to let us have choice. Both the light and the dark exist within the universes. I'm not sure how it can be in or affect the world of light, though. This may not be simple'_

 _'I wonder...now that there is me, a physical connection to the world of light...did a similar creature appear that could be connected to the world of darkness, like the legends said I would become?'_

Noriko was confused. ' _Why, Izark? You chose light.'_

 _'Because there is a balance in all things'._ Noriko's hands clenched on Izark's jacket and her fear spiked enough for him to feel it. He tightened his arms around her. _'Shh,'_ he said soothingly.

 _'Izark. The only way to restore that kind of balance, is to either constantly fight across the universes for the rest of eternity, chasing it from one to another, ...or to destroy it and be destroyed in the process. ...I will really hope you are wrong.'_ Her eyes were staring wide into his. The problem was, that very thing would have been sufficient for the sudden arrival here and the sudden changes in this world. She shivered, and her whole chain link to the world of light shivered with her.

Izark held her closely, putting his cheek on the top of her head. She could feel him striving to send her comfort across the emotional link. She took a deep breath, trying to calm. ' _There are too many unknowns still,'_ he finally said. She nodded her head slightly, not wanting to jostle his head off hers.

 _'Izark, please be careful. If there is something evil actually residing in the world of light, it may be able to capture your spirit. I can't come rescue you there, I don't think. And...it may still be able to take your body, like the source of evil wanted to before, if it imprisons your spirit. Great harm may be done here if that happens. Moving too swiftly may be a ploy to bring you under its control because you don't know enough to protect yourself.'_

 _'I was thinking that also, actually, Noriko, when I had to protect myself at the core. I've left a barrier there, but that may be where the final battle lies in the end.'_

Noriko took a big stabilizing breath. ' _Then I will figure out how to come and protect you there. Don't go fighting there until I'm ready. Promise me. Don't do it alone and leave me.'_

Izark paused, then asked, ' _Do you already have some ideas?'_

Noriko was tentative. ' _Yes, but it will take delicate experimentation. With that sitting on the other side of the door, I'm not sure I can move without drawing its attention. I'll have to move carefully, I think. I will need time. And I want to sort out the top layer. If you are physically captured, I want to be able to come find you.'_

 _'I agree. I'll do my best to wait.'_ Noriko felt better after his promises. She hugged him, then let him go. He pulled back as well, but kept his hands on her shoulders until they had looked into each other's eyes and were strong enough to let go.

When they returned to the room, turning towards their newest allies, the sun had risen just enough to no longer cast rainbows in the room through the colored windows. Princess Shirayuki and four guards, in addition to Obi and Ilena's guards, had arrived. It was rather crowded. Everyone turned to them with solemn eyes.

"I've lost operatives," Ilena said solemnly. "We don't think to death, yet, but something is on the move to intercept the King."

Noriko took a deep breath. Izark did as well, but more unnoticably. Noriko let Izark do the talking. "We have discovered something here, in this universe, that isn't in the others. It is actively attacking the world of light. We've never encountered it. We came here suddenly and unexpectedly, and in a different way than usual. The attack on your king, before I am prepared to understand what I can do in this world, is disturbing. My original intent was to offer to go and help you protect your king, meeting him half-way." Ilena was nodding. "However, with this new thing I'm not sure if that is the best course of action." He looked directly at Ilena.

"How long will it take you to determine your full strength and capabilities?" It was Zen, with determination.

Izark looked at him. "About as long as what we just did. Maybe a half an hour at most. That was the internal piece."

"You have it," Zen said. "Ilena's people can keep him protected long enough. The fast horses will get you to him on time, if your other capabilities can't. She's already told them to run for here as fast as they can."

Noriko gave a small, twisted wry smile. ' _Feels rather like the forest of the morning mist tree, doesn't it, Izark, but this time you have a king to save, instead of the Awakening.'_ She looked at Zen. "I had to run like that also, to escape a monster that wanted me, and Izark even more."

Zen was sober, then he waved to the door. "Shall we?"

Izark looked at Ilena. "His board?"

Ilena smiled. "I have more on mine, but his is the Regency board, and he is the better strategest - the youngest - genius - strategist in our history."

Izark nodded. "Glad to hear it. The more strengths on our side the better." Noriko nodded with great agreement. Izark turned Noriko and they led the group out of the door of the upper emergency communications chamber.


	3. Lessons

CHAPTER 3 Lessons

 _'It seems to me,'_ Izark said slowly to Noriko _'that the various layers affect my abilities, like the levels of my forms. Also, I pull on the light. If it's hard to gather here, then it may be that it will be longer before I can have an effect, or like the attacks will be weaker unless I take the time to store up the light ahead of time...like a battery.'_ Izark had learned what batteries were and how they worked in her world. Noriko nodded. ' _I'll just test the levels now, but I'll test the storage of energy on the way. If riding will get us there just as fast, it might be wiser to not waste the energy on running, even if I can run and it doesn't cost as much initially to do so.'_ Noriko gripped his hand tighter for a moment. He wished he could comfort her more. The not knowing was always her worst fear. He'd been glad she'd been free of fear until now, since they had destroyed the source of evil in his world.

He considered his forms. In his first one, he could affect the wind - air, and fire, or heat. He could, almost without thought, leap very high, run very fast, and perform acrobatic feats no normal human could. These he would test first. If that layer was warped, he would be fairly handicapped, though. At the second level, his ability to use energy attacks was nearly ten times what is was in his other levels until that point. That would be good offensively, maybe, or it might wipe out whole forests when he really wanted to hit one tree, or one person in a tree, but he couldn't have that fine a control if his first layer was compromised. He would have to test that outside the castle proper. He didn't want to blow it away, after all.

At his third level, he was unstoppable in power, but also found it the most difficult because it was almost all emotion, and all destruction unless he controlled it strictly. That level also gave him a sort of 'armor', and made him look the most demon-like. If that was compromised, muted, he wouldn't have access to that level of power, most likely, only if things got desperate would some use come of it. His final layer was his most powerful, most controlled, because it was his form in the world of light, made manifest in the physical realm. Not being able to access that at all put him on rocky ground, mentally and emotionally. He really relied on that layer.

It was what he had sought his whole time in his world, and used exclusively thereafter. There, he was peaceful, not prone to wild actions based on wild emotions. He would have to be careful, like before, if he couldn't access that place. It was frustrating actually. And...he might access it naturally and without thinking and be caught. He wasn't interested in breaking his promise to Noriko. She was quite right that there he would need her by his side again, and he'd rather have her prepared, than scrambling while his body was being used to wreck this world until she could come save him. That was a really unpleasant proposition - the very thing they'd fought against on his world.

He sighed. "It's hard, isn't it?" Obi was walking next to him, his hands laced behind his head. "You think you're all set and then the world tells you to buck up and do harder things."

"You've lived it before, I take it," Izark said companionably.

"Yes. I used to be just Master's messenger and Mistress's guard. Then Ilena came along and made me Father, Consort, then Prince and Grand Duke. It's all rather a lot to carry, actually, when you add in all the other things I have to do as well. We haven't even told you about half of it. I don't envy you if you're on your next growth spurt."

Izark groaned faintly. "I had rather hoped I was done, yes."

Obi nodded sympathetically. "What do you need for your testing?" he asked helpfully.

"Well, first I need to leap from roof to roof and see if I fall flat on my face. Then I need to leave the castle so that if I blow the forest down, the castle doesn't go with it. I'll need room to run, as well. Noriko still needs a knife. That should about do it. ...And I'll go on horseback."

Obi nodded. "We can do all that. I'll be going with you as well as most of the rest of us. Noriko can stay here with Mistress and her guards - I'll assume you missed that part of our conversation. You looked pretty deep into your own."

Izark looked at him askance. "Well, yes, actually, but who exactly is going?"

Obi looked at him with a hint of a smile. "We'll be fighting at the list to decide that. Master and Ilena both want to go, but one has to stay behind in case King Brother and the rest of us are overwhelmed. There has to be someone left to run the kingdom."

"Seems wise," Izark said briefly, a little surprised either of them would want to go. "They really both want to go?" Obi nodded. "In my world, to get a ruler to put his life in danger was a rarety."

"Ah, well, here, too, likely. But for these two, it's hard to get them to sit still when rescuing needs to happen. King Brother will likely be most upset if Master comes, but if Ilena gets hurt he will be most heartbroken, so it's a difficult thing. They should both stay put as far as he's concerned, I suspect." He looked scoldingly over his shoulder. "Either one will get a scolding. Both will probably get super scolded." Izark glanced over his shoulder. Both royals in question were looking away guiltily, but with resolute expressions. He looked back at Obi and smiled with his eyes. Obi's eyes twinkled back. "This is why I follow them, of course."

"I can understand that," Izark said, deadpan, but he tipped his head up and looked at Obi from the corner of his eye as he did. Obi's face split into the grin Izark remembered from the night before that lit his face.

"I think we do have an understanding, then," Obi said.

"Obi! You aren't leaving me behind!" Ilena scolded.

"Yes, he is. I'm going," Zen countered.

Obi laughed and Izark smiled. This was indeed a family group. Relaxed even in the face of danger, able to poke fun at each other even when inside they were desperately worried.

They walked through the dining room door out into the courtyard. "Okay, Izark, follow me," Obi said. He ran and lightly lept - up onto the first level roof of the inner courtyard. He turned and looked back.

"Can everyone do that?" Noriko asked, in amazement.

There was a pause, then a sudden flurry, and there was a crowd on the roof with Obi. Looking around, only Shirayuki, with her guards, Mitsuhide, and Kiki were left on the ground. Noriko blinked at them. Shirayuki smiled. "Half of mine could go, but the roof won't hold that many, and they prefer to stay with me for some reason." They grinned at her joke. "I can't. Neither can most people. Just those who are monkeys and like to show off," she glared up at Zen, who shrugged.

"Actually, it's nightwalkers, not monkeys, Mistress," Obi corrected. He looked back at Izark, crouching down. "One of the things we haven't been able to tell you yet, but you noticed last night, is that Ilena and I, and our group, come from the world of thieves, assassins, and cut throats. That's where we get our darkness from, as well as from the House Ilena and I grew up in. It was steeped in darkness. Ilena has rescued most of her agents, her Children, from that House and similar Houses, and circumtances, until most are living in the light. She does still have one House of night she runs as the Queen of Knight, and I'm the King and most of these of ours are also similiarly hightly titled. It's so she can keep abreast of the news of the night, and have a hidden fighting force. They are her soldiers, if you will."

Izark looked at them. "Marcus and Henry were obvious theives," he said calmly. They raised eyebrows at him.

"Not really," Marcus protested, "...at least, not for a long time now."

Ilena grinned at them. "He's sharp." She looked back at Izark. "So...what's Liam?"

Izark looked at Liam, standing behind and between Obi and Ilena. He looked at him closely. "In my world, I was called a 'demon'. He would be similarly classed. In this world, assuming you don't have such things...probably a master assassin."

"We don't, and you'd be right," Ilena grinned at him. "He's one of the last in our country. I'm fortunate he is willing to be loved by me."

Liam startled. "No, Mistress Ilena, it is I who am fortunate enough to be allowed to walk with you."

"Give it up," Thayne said wryly. "You know those kinds of arguments go nowhere." The rest grinned.

Izark bounced on the balls of his feet. He had tried to jump in Noriko's world and it had been an embarrasing failure. Now he was to try again, in front of all these people. He would really have rather not had an audience. Especially one that liked to show off and present a challenge before the challenger was sure he was even in the game. At least he had already admitted he expected to go nowhere. Noriko squeezed his hand, then let go and stepped back closer to Shirayuki.

Making sure he had clear space directly above him, Izark started with a simple leap straight up. He overshot. His initial instinct, after Earth, was fear, then he went to resigned, and folded his arms until the down came. Then he prepared for the landing. He'd moved just a little in flight, so he landed on the outer length of a tree branch instead. Once both feet were on it, he sighed, looking down at the others below him, since he was rather high up. Getting down again might be a little difficult if going up was so dramatic.

He carefully did a light stepping leap, landing neatly next to Noriko again. "Well," he said looking at her. "That was the opposite of what I was expecting."

Noriko looked back. "Maybe it's the 'confusing' part of that layer?"

"Maybe." He looked at her, then _pushed_ instead of _pulled_ on their connection. Both she and he blinked. "Opposites?"

Noriko looked at him in surprise. "You pushed?" He nodded. "I'll experiment. You jump. Ah, try forward only."

That was harder. It was like the space around him didn't want him to move forward. Up was lacking in control, forward took too much effort. He frowned. That was going to be annoying. He tried a twist in the leap and was surprised. "Well, that was effective, but I'm going to get very dizzy doing _that_ every leap."

Obi laughed. He'd been keeping pace with Izark along the roof. "Yes, I would think so. It would be very effective when attacking though."

Izark nodded. "Yes. I use it for that, that's why I thought of it." He stopped, struck by a thought. "I wonder..." Instead of a leap to 'go' somewhere, he did an attacking leap. That was _very_ satisfactory. He did the same for getting to the top of the roof and it worked perfectly. ' _Noriko, when I 'attack', I move fine.'_

 _'How odd. Are the opposites 'regular movement' and 'attacking movements' then?'_

 _Perhaps._ He experimented a few more times, going up one more story, Obi keeping up - the others had gone to ground, or sat on the first level, to watch. Izark looked down, frowing again. Down was hard as well. He looked at Obi. "When you attack down, how do you do it?"

"Attack down?" Obi raised an eyebrow, then looked down at the ground, considering it. "There are two. The attack to hit a man in the head, landing on his shoulders and back, and there's the 'attack' to land on the ground so the energy goes into the ground and doesn't damage the body. Shall I show you?"

"Please," Izark asked politely.

"I'll do them in that order. I don't want to put a hole in the roof." Izark nodded and watched closely.

Obi leapt, then pulled his knees up and put a fist down, hitting an imaginary opponent on the head with his extended fist, his feet kicking out to hit the shoulders just after. He landed on the lower roof neatly going into a crouch.

Izark considered it, then attempted an imitation that was a bit closer to what he knew. It worked nicely, though he had to pull back a bit at the end to not put that hole in the roof. Obi raised an eyebrow at him. "That's rather a lot of power. Thank's for pulling back. Don't hit me, okay?"

Izark looked up at him in surprise, then smiled slightly. "I hope I don't ever have to, Obi. And that wasn't powered. That was just normal." His eyes opened wide. "Oh, well, if things here are opposite, it might have actually been powered. I'll be careful. That's the next test. I don't really want to be destructive." He paused again. ' _Noriko...it's opposite because that's destruction. If I attack, there is destruction. Has the source of evil turned things here to be so that destruction is the result, or so that to act, one must take a destructive path? I wonder if it's natural to this place, though. Obi seems to find it natural.'_

 _'Hmm...interesting. Keep going. The more we add to the experiment, the better.'_

Izark nodded to Obi he was ready. Obi leapt down and landed in the nightrunner's energy eating ground landing. Izark could feel the ripples of energy leaving him and going through the ground. His eyes went wide. "Ah, Obi," he asked uncomfortably. Obi looked back up at him. "How did you do that without leaving a hole in the ground? When I do that, I'm likely to put a rather large cloud of dirt in the air and leave lots of work for the gardner. ...and probably take out the two pillars of the overhanging."

"Ah, yes, that would be bad," Obi said, looking worried. He rubbed the back of his head. "You don't put additional energy into it, like you would a blow. You just make the earth take the force of the landing so that it doesn't come into you. Internal energy stays put."

"It's a three-point landing on purpose," Ilena walked up, her arms folded. "Land on a shallow bowl or a slightly curved shield and make it rock, not the earth or you. The three points keep you balanced on the shield, but the movement below you sends the energy away. You have to imagine it, of course. You'll really be on the solid ground physically."

Izark nodded. He could do that. His protective shields were like that. To land on one would be similar. He was careful to just jump off, not leap. He didn't need to experiment with landing from fifty feet up first. He kept the image he wanted in his head, but didn't put his shield through the ground, extended in front of him as usual, instead he landed on it as they suggested. It did rock and the ground didn't explode. He stood up pleased when the rocking stopped. "I wish I had known that one in my own world. That would have been very helpful."

He looked up. "Okay, which way is the fastest to an open area, not in the castle grounds. I need to practice the jumps on the way."

Ilena pointed. "That way is north. There is a field, rolling hills, and a forest. We love them, though, so please be kind."

Izark paused. "I will do my best," he answered, then he looked at the top level and 'attack' jumped. He sailed over the top of the wall of the wing and landed on the far side, surprising a few guards standing on the outside of the wing. He ignored them, but he heard from above him Obi's voice. "It's okay. Let him go. He's a guest." He glanced back up. Obi had followed him up and his face was soon joined by all the others who could jump. "We'll follow you on our own speed," Obi called down to him. He nodded, then was gone into another test leap. That had been one for controlled long height and distance and had worked fairly well.

His next few were for short hopping distances. It took a bit to figure out how to make them attacks, but once he had it he expanded them to be longer and then longer and higher. He did a few attacks on the way, spinning and landing hard on imaginary opponents in the air, without the energy included. When he was at the wall at the outside of the castle grounds, he leapt over that as well, then practice a 'run' to get to the center of the field at the edge of the woods. There, he did a few attacks, including the energy directed at the ground. The explosions echoed between the forest and the castle wall. He was surprised. He hadn't expected to be able to use the energy, really, though he supposed the fact he had his shields at all should have told him. He was quite certain...well...of nothing. He'd wait until Obi was outside the castle, or he got back in to ask him.

He did a force attack with his hands and got nothing, not even a breeze. He sighed. He tried again with a punch. That put out force, but not as much as he would have thought. He 'ran' up to a tree, then put his fist into it using his energy. That worked better, but seemed to use his shield more than the force. It wasn't as powerful as he was used to. He stepped back, then turned towards the open field, made sure there absolutely nothing in the way for a long distance, including the castle wall, then drew his sword. He took a stance, then attacked, using the sword to direct the force and energy as he had learned to do from a young age - nearly as far back as when he had taken up the sword at the insistence of his self-appointed teacher, Gaya.

The energy ripped through the air, tearing it, shreaking as it went. ' _Izark! Are you okay?'_ Noriko was frantic.

 _'Yes. That was the energy from the sword. Overpowered, I'm afraid. Attacks really do a lot more damage here. Except fist attacks. I can't get those to be more than overpowered normal attacks. I need to ask Obi questions. Is he coming out here?'_

 _'Are you sure he should if your attacks are doing that? I could translate, be the go-between. We're headed for the castle wall to watch from there.'_

 _'Oh, well that would work, then. I want him to see, I think. And if I can come there to see his examples, too. ...I was hoping to not have to display all this, but he is very helpful. It's my first time to try to learn it with someone who already instinctively knows it. Ilena, too.'_ He experimentally swung his sword more 'lazily'. That was less powered, but he didn't like the 'lazy' feel. He tried a few swings with no power, as he prefered to fight that way against normal mortals. They still had power behind them, but weren't too bad. He stuck a 'shield' in front of it and that seemed to work much better, the power going into the shield and siphoning off, like it had when landing on the ground, but the sword would still likely do damage. He practiced that for a while, going into his personal forms, trying to get it all balanced again in this new place.

He heard, on the wind, _Now you've made Mister and Miss Kiki jealous. They want to spar with a new form. They've gotten bored with only the two of them good enough to spar against._

Izark raised an eyebrow. _'They're that good?'_ he asked through Noriko.

There was a pause, then Obi again, _Yes. They can go for hours, but if anyone else goes against them, it's over very quickly._

 _'Well, at the moment, I'm trying to not kill. They'll have to wait. I'm not down to sparing level yet. The energy is excessive on everything but fist. Can you tell me why?'_ There was a long pause.

 _'They're discussing it, Izark,'_ Noriko finally sent back. _'Obi wants to know if they can come out there.'_

Izark stopped swinging his sword. ' _Yes.'_

Three bodies dropped from the wall, which was rather high, actually, so it surprised him, but they all used that ground eating landing. He narrowed his eyes, then walked back to the tree. He tried three different punches, forming the energy coming from his fist in three different ways based on what he had just thought of based on that landing. He was surprised at the results. He turned back and Obi was nearing, Petroi and Thayne coming behind him. Izark supposed they always went with Obi, since they were his guards, and Ilena understood protecting her heart. He'd put two, or Shirayuki's five, behind Noriko, too, if he could, just to have more bodies, even though he was plenty enough strength, usually. Even he had learned the essential help others could give, both with their friends in their travels, and when Noriko had needed the most protection and a whole city had helped keep her safe.

"Did you learn anything new?" Obi asked as he got close.

Izark nodded. "I got some interesting results from my experimentation, but I'd like to hear your explanation first, and see it demonstrated."

It took another fifteen mintues for Izark to get comfortable with fist fighting again and trying just energy attacks again. He was able to get a few out, but they were the least reliable. He shook his head. He'd have to leave those behind while he was here. Pushing with his shield worked, though, so he had a protective layer, at least. "We should go back. I've already taken longer than I told Zen I would." He hesitated, "and, the energy feels different here. Noriko was explaining to me. It is harder to call up and even hard to dissipate. I think the latter is why the attacks are overpowered. I expect the energy to go away faster. The former has made us wonder if I will tire and weaken faster. I'd like to not run out of ability at the wrong time."

Obi raised an eyebrow. "Yes, let's not have that. Not when we'll need it soon."

Izark opted to walk back with them, pulling in energy as they went. He had finally learned that was how to not faint. If he pulled little bits of light energy from the plants and all creation - carefully with humans to not suck their's away more than they could offer - he would constantly stay 'healthy'. When he was connected to the world of light, it naturally flowed, of course, from the source. He hadn't realized how much he missed being connected to the source until they left Noriko's world and he'd been reconnected to it again more solidly. It had been just enough on Earth that he hadn't been severed - they'd had a weak first level link there so they knew where the other was all the time, but once having it more opened again, he felt like he'd spent that whole time drowning in starvation.

He didn't regret having done it, and he was glad it had been second. His love for Noriko made it easy to do, and her family had been a joy to be with, while they'd been alive. Even her grand-nieces and grand-nephews had been enjoyable. They'd 'died' without family around, though. Izark had kind of suspected something like their space and time travel would happen again and hadn't told anyone the time had come for them to leave. They would have wondered at arriving at an empty house, but he'd left a letter telling them they'd moved on to the world of light and they would see them there when it was their turn. That had been open ended enough but should have given them peace and comfort, he hoped.

At the bottom of the wall he looked up and grinned at Noriko. "Ah," Obi held up his hand. "We can't go _up_ that high. Can you give us a boost? If not, there's a gate down a ways."

Izark looked at Obi, not able to resist the tease. "I'm sure I need the practice, but... are you sure you want to be thrown _that_ high?"

Obi looked at him, then gave him a face. "No. I want you to link your hands and lightly toss upwards so we can catch the edge and climb over, thank you. No _throwing_ necessary."

Izark looked at him, then nodded. He linked his fingers together. Obi stepped into it with one boot and looked up at his target. "I'm going to be very gentle. If you don't make it high enough, I'll catch you on the way down and we'll try again. Better that than overshooting." Obi nodded.

Obi and Izark moved synchronously. Obi pushing down then Izark lifting. At the top of the lift Obi shoved off. Izark arrested the motion of energy that would have put Obi too high and Obi sailed up and caught the lip of the wall, pulling himself over immediately with the remaining energy. He looked back down at Izark from above, his eyes wide. "Oh! That was beautiful. I could feel it. Do that again for Petroi. I want him to feel it, too. He's lighter than me and willow, so it will be different, but you'll get it."

Izark laced his fingers again. Petroi stepped in and Izark immediately recognized Obi's description. He looked up into Petroi's face. "He's quite right. I may overshoot you a bit. Plan on landing on the lip on your feet."

Petroi nodded. "Can do. Just don't widely overshoot. It's not very wide up there."

Izark nodded, focused, and they moved in sync. It was a beautiful graceful flight for Petroi, and he did land on a crouch on the top. He paused a moment there.

 _Izark, he's spellbound with joy. Almost to tears. Give him a bit before you send Thayne up._ Ilena's words came to him on the wind. Izark smiled, and so did Thayne.

"He's a softy for the strangest things," Thayne said, a kind smile on his lips for his partner. "Grace and art being two of them other than Mistress Ilena, of course. And that was his kind of art and grace." Thayne looked back at Izark. "Be careful. He might steal you from your little miss."

Izark shook his head. "No. Where I go, she goes, and vice versa."

Thayne smiled. "Yes, like Mistress Ilena and Master Obi, I'm sure."

They looked up again. Petroi had moved. Izark laced his fingers one more time. "I'm a heavy," Thayne said. "Expect to need a little extra energy for me. I stick to the ground, though it doesn't slow me down."

Izark nodded, then 'felt' Thayne when the foot was on his hand. When he was ready, the energy flowed and again they worked in sync. Thayne flew, heavily as he'd said, but he caught the top of the wall and climbed over like Obi had. Izark kicked off the ground and 'flew' up to the top of the wall, catching it with one hand and pulling his feet over. "If Thayne is a heavy, I'm a light," he said with a smile. "Up has no boundaries for me, sadly. I'd likely throw myself into space if I tried to throw myself. I'd have to blow myself up gently with my breath." The others laughed.

Noriko, instead, though asked, ' _Have you experimented with that yet?'_

 _'No. I'll do that on the way. We're already late.'_ He looked into Zen's blue eyes. "I'm sorry that took so long." The eyes were calculating, but Zen only nodded and turned away quickly, leading everyone off the top of the wall. They went towards a place that could only be a garrison for soldiers. Along the way people moved out of the way and bowed to Zen and the other royals, then moved on with life. Noriko and Izark received a few looks, but not many. It spoke of relaxed order. It was a good indicator that this land and this castle were well run and at peace. Zen seemed to indeed be a good ruler by those small indicators. He held himself aloof, but not proud, nor overly familiar with any but his inner circle, and even them he was somewhat restrained with. Izark wondered if Ilena liked the Family celebrations because Zen would fully relax at those. Though, he may have been a little more restrained at breakfast because of him and Noriko. That was hard to tell.

At the list, because everyone was now in a little bit of a hurry, jackets were shed and practice swords taken up quickly. Ilena went up to Noriko and handed her a short practice blade. "We'll see how you do against me," Ilena said. "Knife is my blade and no one is better in all of Wilant or farther. I'm a teacher, so I know how to let you go your speed. I want you to show me everything you know. Start with attacks, then I'll know how to attack you to test your defense." She led Noriko out onto the list and took a defensive pose. Noriko swallowed, then prepared herself as she would to face Izark.

The whole group watched, Izark making running commentary to Noriko inside, the same as he would if he were the one on the list with her, to keep her in her focused zone. The more it was familiar, the better she would be. Noriko came down with her last attack, then stepped back. Ilena gave her a look, then began the attacks. Izark was glad to see she started simple and slow. He could tell Ilena was holding back strongly. Ilena ended it right when Izark would have, not going into the next blow that would have broken past Noriko's defenses. He was impressed she knew her work well enough to know that point. Walking up to Noriko, he held out his hand. "Please?" he asked Ilena. She nodded. Noriko handed the wooden knife over.

"Starting with attacks, where Noriko left off," he stated. Ilena nodded and went back into defense. Izark worked his way up to his maximum controlled level and speed. He was impressed. He stepped back a wide step, inviting Ilena in, and she came at him, starting where Noriko had left off again. When Ilena's speed went one notch too high, Izark grabbed her wrist, immobilizing her. She stopped and looked at him in surprise. "If we go faster, I don't have enough control to not hurt you. I've been practicing not using energy. That contol will slip at the next one."

Ilena nodded and stepped back. "I thought you should be able to continue."

"I can, but not yet with a partner I don't want to hurt." He smiled lightly at himself, to lighten his words. He bowed to her slightly. "Thank you."

"Thank you!" she said back. "That's farther than most can go with me. If you're still here when you have better control, I'd like to see how you do against my freeform. It's rather...unique, but if anyone can dance with me, I think it would be you."

"That would be a fun diversion," he said. "Perhaps we may have the opportunity."

"Do you know hand-to-hand techniques?" Obi asked, a little hopefully.

"Ah," Izark looked at him, "I'm afraid not. I've always been overpowered. Weapons help me control it. If I touch people, they go several feet into the ground. It isn't pretty. I'm sorry."

Obi looked disappointed, then introspective. "No...if you could stay long enough, I could teach you. You have the same techniques we do, you just haven't had a proper teacher."

Izark paused at that. "Well, if we have opportunity, I might like that. There have been some worlds I'm not allowed to carry swords or weapons in. Being able to properly use my hands and feet would be of benefit. But even if I can only watch you a few times before we go, that may be sufficient."

Mitsuhide stepped forward and lightly tossed Izark a sword length practice blade. "Shall we?"

Izark tossed the knife blade to Obi, swung the stick to get a feel for it, twirling it like a baton a few times, lazily playing with it, then finally catching it in his hand. "I might not blow it to toothpicks. If it slips, I'll try to divert the energy." He prepared himself. "Please, attack first, so the stick lasts longer."

Mitsuhide nodded. The attack was quick, not wasting time on the preliminaries. Izark was pleased enough, and danced the defense easily. A few times he noticed Mitsuhide react. Their forms were slightly different, then. He had defenses Mitsuhide was unfamiliar with. Izark made note of them. Mitsuhide finally stepped back and Izark moved to attacks, back down to the level they had started defense at. He worked his way quickly up, though, already knowing how fast Mitsuhide could go. It was only polite to not offend him by being slow again. He worked on being careful to not over attack, even though he was firm and sure. When he reached Mitsuhide's top level, he pulled back slightly and grinned. "Can we try a few of mine?" he asked. Mitsuhide's eyes lit up and he nodded. Izark let him set, then attacked his favorite attacks, going slow enough Mitsuhide could learn them, and try to come up with a defense for. He managed to defend most of them well, if awkwardly on a few.

"Hold." They stopped. Petroi was walking onto the list. "Those are combination Selician and Tarc moves. Let me step in."

Mitsuhide nodded and stepped off the list to watch. Izark caught Kiki's rapt look and intense focus. She'd been watching as well. He faced Petroi, who said, "I'll start with attacks. Your defense will let me know if I'm right. When I nod, switch to free spar." He looked up. "But don't kill me."

Izark smiled. "Okay." That was a beautiful dance. Izark couldn't hold back his smile. Petroi was able to keep up with him well and when it went to the free spar, they went for quite some time before it was called to a halt by Zen himself.

"That's all the time we can spare. You two will go as long as Mitsuhide and Kiki, I would think."

Izark nodded to Petroi. "Very enjoyable. Thank you."

"Likewise," Petroi was as pleased in his eyes as Izark was. "Very good on control as well."

"It helped to have competent opponents," Izark said as they walked off the list together.

"Indeed," Petroi said happily.

They turned to the list. Ilena and Zen were now facing off, sword to sword. As Izark watched, he could see that Ilena's blade really was knife. Her sword moves were more extended knife moves, though she did know sword techniques that she used as well. It seemed Zen was used to sparing with her, though. He kept up with her fairly well. Izark watched Zen closely, seeing Mitsuhide's hand in his tutelage. A tug on his sleeve brought his attention out of the list momentarilly. ' _Izark. I don't think this is how to decide who should go. If the evil is really bad...shouldn't they both stay here?'_

Izark paused to look around at the guards and those who cared for the two in the middle of the list field. He saw something other than fear or worry, or care for the striving. Instead he saw patient expectation. ' _No, something else is happening. It isn't going to be decided by who is strongest or fastest. The others are waiting for a different result. This is the communication, not the challenge, is what it looks like. This whole world seems to have a defining edge of battle, even for all it's a peaceful place generally. I think...even this the light will affect.'_ He relaxed when she settled.

The two blades came together, close at the hilts, and stopped. There was a communication unspoken between the two opponent, and they separated. "Stay hidden," Zen said.

"I will," Ilena answered. "The Family will keep you updated. Don't come further than the South Wilant Road Garrison, and that's still too close to the border for my taste."

Zen raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "You'll not restrain me then?"

Ilena frowned slightly, then shook her head. "It feels like...we'll all be needed again, but not just yet. Having you that close may prove helpful. If for nothing else to reduce communication lag. I may need your brain more, particularly at the first." She turned to Shirayuki. "I'd rather you stayed here, this time, though. We have the children who need one of us present. With both sets of parents gone, having you at least will help. ...And they'll want to follow after us, though they're still too young."

Shirayuki nodded. "There are enough of us here to keep them distracted. We'll have sleep overs. Will you leave Justinian?"

Obi and Ilena looked at each other briefly, then nodded. "Yes, he'll help you," Ilena said.

Shirayuki gestured to her guards. "Tanner and the others will keep them busy with sword practice. That will help them sleep more soundly. But, please come home. I don't want to heal broken hearts."

Obi and Ilena both bowed to her. "Yes, Mistress." "Yes, Mistress Shirayuki."

Izark raised an eyebrow. ' _Did you feel that?'_ Noriko shook her head. ' _They just created a bond in that promise. They've been strengthened with additional light...but that's not quite the way to say it. Like when the world of light promises to us, but it looks and feels a little different.'_ Noriko looked at them with an introspective look on her face.

They watched as Zen and Ilena walked off the list towards Obi and Shirayuki. Zen wrapped his arms around Obi and Ilena. "Come back," he wispered to them and the wind of light swirled around him.

"We will," they promised, and the light settled into them.

Izark and Noriko turned to each other and stared at each other. They'd never seen it work this way, though they were familiar with it, since that was how the light reacted to Noriko when she manipulated it. ' _Emotions...communication...ties.'_ Izark could feel she'd discovered something, but she didn't elaborate just then. She just watched Zen. As he turned and looked at Izark and Noriko, Noriko reached out and took Izark's hand. Zen looked between them, then stepped over to them. He looked at Noriko, directly in the eyes. She was lost in his blues, but to Izark, it looked like she was looking for something in particular. "I'm sorry it will be difficult to be with us when we take him away," he said to Noriko.

Noriko shook her head. "No, I'm going with you. He can go with them, but I have to be at least that close also, for the same reasons you do. Just like they can't be that far from your light, he can't be that far from mine. Like you can't be that far from their love, I can't be from his."

Zen stared at her, then smiled. "I understand." Izark wasn't sure he personally did. That was too close for him, wherever Zen was going to be, and there weren't as many protections there as here. He already knew he wouldn't change her mind, though. Zen turned to him. "Stay safe, for her sake, and for the rest of ours as well." They could see the same swirl of wind of light.

"I will," Izark promised soberly. He felt the light enter him and fill him. He watched it, tasted it, was strengthened by it. "Thank you," he said. Zen nodded, looking at him carefully, then he returned to Shirayuki's side to give her quiet instructions for the office and running of the castle.

Izark turned to Noriko. He put his hand on her head. "Noriko," he gathered up all his emotions for her, his love, his worry, his concern, his intense desire to protect her. She looked at him, her eyes a little wide. "Stay safe," he begged.

Noriko nodded and almost timidly said, "I will, Izark, I will." The great wind of light circling Izark rushed into Noriko, nearly lifting her off the ground, but she was used to this and more. She carefully pulled it into herself until it settled. When she opened her eyes and looked at Izark, they were bright. He drank the sight up. It had been so long since she had been so full of the light. As he became full, and the light in her was dimming, a presence became manifest at the edge of their space. They gently separated and looked.

Obi was standing there with his kind smile on his face, looking mostly at Noriko, but he turned to Izark when they looked at him. "It is good to see the sun, isn't it? Master will keep her safe until you can see it again." He gave a teasing grin, "Besides, you two are lucky, you don't have to sing the wind to hear each other. That means no delay. We'll likely use that to our benefit."

Izark raised an eyebrow, then slowly smiled. "Good point." Having Noriko with the master strategest in a place of slightly greater security might give them an important edge. "Ah," he looked over his shoulder, "Princess Shirayuki won't be jealous?"

"You won't?" Obi teased back gently.

Izark looked at him a bit impatiently. "Have you forgotten our ages already?"

Noriko laughed as Obi blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "Right." He looked back at Shirayuki. "Mistress...," his look was one of fondness, "has been jealous before, but it's not likely. She'll come and join them if that sort of emotion occurs, though he will call for her first. We understand jealousy. Ilena has trained us all, and them in particular." He looked back at Izark. "You can rest comfortable." Then he got a wry, self incriminating look. "It's more me who will be jealous. Ilena still cannot keep her eyes off of King Brother, though it's gotten better. She loves his board." He grinned at them. "But she couldn't play her own, then, so I get to keep her."

"Obi," Noriko asked, "why is the king coming here? If there's trouble with the neighboring kingdom, shouldn't he be calling up his army and preparing for battle?"

Obi stopped and stared at her, then sighed. "Because King Brother..." He looked over to Ilena and Zen, then motioned for the two of them to follow him over. "Master, Ilena, they didn't hear it. Miss Noriko has asked why King Brother is coming here instead of gathering his army."

They turned and looked at Noriko and Izana, then looked at each other, then sighed. "Because Izana is trying to prevent the war, like we did in Tarc. If he can make it here, or at least to the garrison Master Zen will wait at, he believes he can prevent the invasion. We've disagreed with him, but he won't even let us call up our troops for exercises just in case. He believes even that much will make his contacts distrust his motives. If we few can go and appear as only a rescue squad, or a relieving squad for his men, or perhaps as a lure to distract the enemy from going after him, he may be able to negotiate peace. Master Zen will go to that same garrison in case Izana doesn't make it there, to be negotiator in his stead."

Izark and Noriko stared at them. "No troops at all?" Izark asked.

Ilena and Zen looked at each other again. "Well...we have 'troops' of a sort, but not the sort that they see. We've not left him unprotected, nor will we leave the border unprotected. We already have people in place. None of us are fool enough to assume that one plan is sufficient."

Izark relaxed a little and nodded. "That kind of planning I can understand. We will go as the visible to draw the eye, and hopefully resolve it." The royal siblings nodded.

Noriko kept frowning. "It isn't irresponsibile for the king to go? He couldn't send an envoy?"

Ilena looked at her carefully. "Izana is not an irresponsible king, even if it looks like it to others. He loves his kingdom and it's people and is extremely careful. If he believed one of us was sufficient to negotiate, he would not hesitate to send us or use us in whatever way he saw fit. The mere fact he is going says that it is imperative to the survival of Clarines that he be the one to go. He knows he is the head of this country and it's pillar of strength. He knows if he falls, the country will be much lesser because of it. We may not know what he knows, but we know him." She glanced at Zen then back. "He also know us, and what we will do. We have been doing it so that we can be his strength as well. Having you with us to help us will help him as well."

Noriko bit her lip, shifted, then asked one more. "Are you sure it's the king that is coming, and not a decoy to call you out?"

Ilena nodded carefully. "I'm making careful sure of that, and of his person. Master Zen told you this morning I was listening to several simultaneous reports. I have two levels and multiple lines on each level watching over him. If any of their reports are out of line, then I know we have troubles. It is the king. His own people say it, and my people say it. Perhaps they have called him out for evil reasons - we are assuming they have. But we also trust him, and I trust my people and the lines of communication I've set up."

Noriko considered a little longer, then nodded. "When do we leave?" she asked Zen.

He smiled at her. "The horses for Izark, Obi, and Ilena, and the others, are being readied now. They'll leave shortly. We will leave in a few hours. I have things to finish preparing here. Can you ride or do you want a carriage?"

"I can ride sufficiently," Noriko said. "A carriage is slower, so not needed."

Zen nodded. "Very well. If you'd rather ride with someone, you can ride with Kiki."

Noriko looked over at Kiki who smiled and nodded. "Well...that is what I'm more familiar with, but if it will slow down the horse...," she remembered the horses she'd been on that had reared and run and sighed. "Are there monsters here that will frighten the horses?"

The others raised eyebrows at her. "No...? Only men might."

Noriko relaxed. "Then either is fine. I'm really tired of being thrown off horses and stolen continents away."

"You are?" Izark asked. "That hasn't happened for two lifetimes."

Noriko gave him a baleful look. "Perhaps, but we're back around again, so it feels like yesterday and tomorrow. If I have to be on horses again, I'd at least like to skip that part."

As others laughed, Izark smiled at her. "Fair enough."

"That sounds like Shirayuki, too," Kiki smiled. "She kept being stolen away as well at the beginning...but that's for her strong personality and red hair. You don't have the red hair. I think you'll be fine."

Noriko looked at Izark. He looked back. They knew, but they didn't say it. She was Izark's weakness. They always came for her. It was too close, but she wouldn't back down. Her place had always... _always_...been right next to him, to protect him.

As the group left the list, Zen left them for his necessary activities, but the rest went to the gate where saddled horses were being brought. Izark's bag was on the ground waiting, with others. He raised an eyebrow, looked in it, found even that morning's clothing cleaned and dried in it, plus an extra change of Clarines clothing in it. Everything else was left untouched in it. "You have very precise and helpful servants," he said to Shirayuki.

She pointed to Ilena. "Yes, but you're being tended to by her's. That's Justinian, the man who served you at breakfast. He's very competent and it comes as natural as breathing to him."

Izark raised an eyebrow. "He's the one staying to help you?"

Shirayuki nodded. "He's very good with the children as well. He went on the last journey, though, into Tarc, and was very helpful to Obi, Petroi, and Thayne." She smiled at Izark. "This time it will be you, and Ilena will go with instead of be left behind to come later." She looked at Noriko. "This time it will be Noriko who stays, like Ilena did last time." She looked back towards the castle proper and her husband. "Perhaps, he will call me again...," she looked back at them, "But, if he doesn't, please keep him safe for me."

They both bowed to her. "We will," they promised, and once again that feeling of a tie was made, but with them this time, an odd strength they couldn't quite understand yet.


	4. Research

_*Spoiler alert: Minor references from The Missing Princess Books 2, 3 & 4.*_

* * *

CHAPTER 4 Research

"Come be introduced to your horse," Ilena said calmly to Izark. He followed her to where the horses were waiting. They were short and stocky, closer to Earth's horses than the ones in Izark's world which were more slender. These had thick curly hair, and the saddles were almost not saddles at all, more like what he was used to than the ones on Noriko's world.

Izark had always had an affinity for animals. He could actually communicate with them on his world as a demon. It would be interesting to see how that translated here. He folded his arms and looked at the waiting horses that had all turned to face him as he walked up. As he looked at each of them in the eye, one by one, they all 'bowed' to him, putting one leg in front and bowing their heads over it. He nodded to each one as it bowed. One didn't 'bow' in the same way. Rather it lowered it's head to him. He lowered his head to it in return.

When he had looked at each one, he turned to look at Ilena. No particular horse had said it was his yet and he wasn't sure what he should do about that. She was looking at him with a rather intense look. The people standing behind her were rather astounded. "You said you were a 'demon' in your world." Izark raised an eyebrow and nodded a single nod. "Is that a natural creature?" He reluctantly nodded again. "So you're a king in your own right." He sighed.

"I was born to be the Sky Demon, the 'king' of demons on my world. I chose the light, however, so things turned out just a little differently than most people thought."

Ilena looked at him a little longer. "You've spoken to them naturally and they've acnowledged you without you asking them to. These horses are special. They come from Tarc, not Clarines. The Clarines horses are taller, regal, but have a different way of interacting with us. They speak the same, though. Any horse will let you ride it, but they should carry their current riders." She turned to the others. "Call your horses."

Obi whistled and the horse that had only bowed it's head walked over to him stately. That made sense, that he would ride the stallion. Petroi whistled and another strong, but lithe horse walked to him. Thayne called a name and his horse moved, but it had already begun when Petroi's had moved. Izark smiled to himself. The partnered horses understood their partners. Two more names were called out almost simultaneously and two horses moved quickly to Henry and Marcus. Ilena made a hand motion and a mare moved to stand by her. Ilena laced her fingers into the curly hairs of her horse, holding it as if to comfort herself. The two stood comfortably together, as if old companions.

There were two horses remaining. Ilena looked at him, then over his shoulder. Izark turned and was surprised to find Liam standing behind him. Liam gave him a slow smile, that almost turned into a challenging grin. Izark raised an eyebrow. "Is it because we have the same energy?" Izark asked.

Liam's eyebrows went up. Ilena giggled. "Yes, Izark, but that's not how we would say it. For the time we are on this mission, you two will be partners. It's a good match."

Izark frowned slightly. "What was that?" he asked. They both looked at him blankly. He looked around at the others. "Obi, if I may?"

Obi walked over, his horse following him. "What is it Izark?"

"When Ilena said that Liam and I would be partnered, there was one of those 'click's' but it was very faint, and seems to have an additional thing attached to it. Do you know what it is? ...Ah, I'm sorry to ask when we're in a hurry, but Noriko and I need to understand how the light works in this world for me to be fully effective." Ilena graciously let the question be answered.

Obi thought, while giving Izark an interesting look. "The clicks are almost always board placements or movements. Partnerships are important to Ilena. She almost never leaves people unpartnered, or if they are, not for long. Liam has been unpartnered since Ilena's nurse, Leah, has retired to only home service, no longer serving in the Family structure or the office, only attending to her and the children. His position is unique as well. But you are both very similar, so the pairing works well."

Obi paused, his brow wrinkling. "Partnerships are also important in service. Mitsuhide and Kiki. Ilena and me. Master and Mistress." He turned a bit. "Boys, come here a minute." The two pairings of guards came over to made a full circle of eight. The horses circled them, facing them as well, as if joining in the conversation, the other two coming close, but not quite joining in.

Obi gestured to Marcus and Henry. "They have been partners for a long time, since young boys. Henry is the responsible, mother-type, where Marcus is the wild one who needs to be restrained. Together they balance, and in that balance, balance Ilena. When she needs restraint, Henry steps in. When she needs compassion, Marcus is the one to give it." He looked back at Izark. "Can you 'see' a bond of a partnership? We can see it in the actions, feel it with our own partners, but that is all."

Izark looked at Marcus and Henry, then looked from within the world of light inside himself. The two had the usual glow of personal light energy around them, but there did seem to be something. "Will you separate?" he asked. They obediently walked apart from each other. Izark nodded. "Yes, there is a thread, or cord, between them." He studied it for a moment, then noticed with surprise there was a similar cord connecting them with their horses. He turned to Petroi and Thayne. They also obediently stepped farther apart as well. He tipped his head, then frowned. "There is the same connection, but there are other threads."

"They had other partners before they were partnered. Their loss was rather great as well." Ilena explained.

Izark turned and looked at Liam. He also had a 'loose' thread. "Your previous partnership was not torn," Izark said. He turned back to look at Petroi and Thayne, then walked over to them. "May I?" he reached out a hand. It was in the air near Petroi, but not touching him. Petroi cautiously nodded. Izark 'touched' the torn thread and sent 'compassion' to it, and 'healing'. It slowly receeded until it looked more like Liam's. Still present, but a calmer portion of the energy. He turned to Thayne. "May I?" Thayne was staring at Petroi, he nodded silently, without looking at Izark. Izark repeated the healing of the thread for Thayne. Then he stepped back to his place and let go of the vision from the world of light and took a breath to settle back into his body correctly. Petroi and Thayne both had tears, silent ones, running down their cheeks. "Ah...sorry," Izark said, uncomfortable. They shook their heads.

"Thank you, Izark," Ilena said softly. He looked at her and she also had tears running down her cheeks. Izark blushed slightly.

"Don't let it worry you," Liam said from his shoulder. "Tears among us are considered cleansing. If there are connections you can see, don't look at Mother. She probably has several thousand."

Izark did look again, but this time to look at his and Liam's connection. It wasn't as solid. Likely time, experience...and he suspected that because it had been provisionally given - for this mission only. There was one more thing he wanted to see, though. He went a little deeper and saw it. A finer connection that went from that cord towards Ilena. He found the ones on her that had been torn in those same tearings of Petroi and Thayne's. They were already healing. He cautiously sent just a little healing to them directly, and they curled and dissipated and he could feel the same 'release' into joy that happened when Noriko let the light return...except this release was back into Ilena, not into the surroundings. ' _Light...exists within. When it is 'released' it is automatically reabsorbed back 'into'. Trying to dissipate it into the world makes it reluctant. Is that why they have to be attacks? Should it be 'released' back 'into'?'_

He could feel Noriko pondering, experimenting. ' _Yes, 'into' is what it wants to do. I wonder...'_ He felt her pull on their connection. ' _I put my desire to see you 'into' the link.'_

' _That worked. Interesting. There is also a link that forms between set partners, a visible link that allows people to interact smoothly. It's also present, that connection between people when they work together, even if an actual link isn't formed.'_

' _Like a stronger manifestation of the concept that each of us adds to the whole, what little we do individually adds until we have a greater result.'_

' _Yes. I think that's it.'_

' _Izark...this world may be even closer to the World of Light than your world.'_

' _I was thinking the same.'_ He returned to the people around them. "Noriko will study it further. What do I do next?" He was glad to see that they had recovered from crying by the time he returned.

Ilena waved at the two horses remaining. "You and Liam must chose your horses. Normally I would let you chose from all the herd, but we are short of time, and...you both can ride whichever horse you want, so chose. We need to make sure you know how to actually ride one of these."

As one, Izark and Liam turned to face the two horses. In what was a rather confusing to Izark, but perfectly natural process, the two horses and the two men all communicated with each other and the two horses walked to their respective riders. Izark's mouth twitched. "This has got to be the strangest world I've ever been on, as far as the world of light goes." He glanced at Obi. "If I'm learning anything, it's more how the world of light works." As one, he and Liam mounted their horses. Through their faint link, Liam taught Izark how to ride in one quick lesson that took about four minutes. It was all natural, anyway, so very easy. Shift your weight slightly forward to move forward. Sit back to stop or slow down. Shift left or right to steer that direction. They sat very still on their horses while Liam went through the high-speed maneuvers, letting Izark feel the 'shifting' within, rather than actually performing them. When the lesson was done, they looked at each other on the 'outside'.

"Did you get all that?" Liam asked, a confused look on his face.

"Yes. Isn't it how you use the link usually?" Izark asked, a little surprised.

Liam shook his head. "No. We use words, but it's faster even with them."

"Noriko and I even still have to use words on occasion for clarity, but for that sort of thing, the link through the world of light worked well." Izark looked at it and noticed it had indeed strengthened a little bit.

"Come in. We'll go shortly." Ilena called to them.

As if they were walking themselves, the horses turned and took them back to the others. She looked at them. "Gods, it makes me jealous," she looked at them hungrily. "To so naturally and so quickly be able to talk to the horses. It took me two months of hard work to figure it out."

*Pft!* Obi was laughing. "Woman, it takes most men far longer than that. You and your genius." He grabbed her around the waist and planted a kiss on her lips. "Not to mention, the spirit of the Naluk'." He spun away lightly from her as she threw a half-hearted knocking blow to his head.

Izark smiled as he lifted one leg and crossed it across the back of his horse in front of him. "You two are fun to watch." The other men chuckled and mounted their horses. Noriko walked up to Izark's horse, running her fingers through the hair on it. He watched her fingers as they tangled in it, pulled, pet. He reached down and captured one of them in his own hand, pulling her to him. "If you had one of these horses, you would never return to me." He scolded her lightly. He picked her up and set her in front of him, balanced on his leg and facing him, his strength being greater here than the other places they had been. He held both of her hands captive in his.

When he had her eyes back, she looked down, embarrased. "Sorry, Izark. It isn't long, but it is soft and curly, yes." He kissed her curled fingers, making her look up into his eyes. He captured her - on purpose. He'd made his eyes go sapphire blue when she looked down. When she had built up, he leaned forward and kissed her. Her explosion was a wave that went out from them in a wide ring, but she'd already learned to keep it gentle. He made sure his eyes were back to the normal of this world by the time he was looking in her eyes again

Noriko bit her lip, then looked at him earnestly. "Izark...Stay safe. Come back to me." He could feel her emotions build up. He waited until he sensed their peak, then answered softly, "I will. Noriko. Always." As the same connection he had seen happen between Shirayuki and Obi and Ilena when they had promised her they would return settled into him, he set his forehead against Noriko's and just 'felt' it. It was a bond of love, of promise. He watched where it went, then protected it. ' _The bond feels like when you wrap your arms around me because you want to protect me.'_

' _Well, then remember it. That's what I want to do, always. Let it bring you home, Izark.'_

He nodded and kissed her again. She took her hands back and flung her arms around him. They didn't care, not in this company that was already living in this level of softness anway, not to mention they were two lifetimes too old to be embarrassed by their own love any more.

*Sigh* "Perfect." - Ilena. "Um-hm." - Obi.

Noriko and Izark turned and looked at them in surprise. The two were openly staring at them, enjoyment and appreciation on their faces, their own arms around each other. Obi grinned. "We love to watch, too." They separated and mounted their horses. Izark let Noriko down, though he kept hold of her hand, and a waiting servant approached his horse to tie his bag to the back of the saddle. Another servant tied a similar bag to Liam's saddle.

Ilena looked at Izark. "Stay beside Liam. The longer you are in close proximity, the stronger the partnership will be and faster. You two will need to build it up on the way as best you can. We will need you two strong together." Again Izark had the sense she was 'seeing'. He nodded obediently.

Noriko squeezed his hand. ' _Did you get to see the map?'_ Izark nodded. She continued, ' _Let me know new things and I'll keep experimenting here and on my way. I will hope to see you tomorrow at the latest.'_

' _Likewise.'_ He gave a return sqeeze and she was gone, headed back to stand with Shirayuki. Together they stood side by side. Izark dipped his head at the princess, and his wife, then turned to Liam. Liam was looking at him with a proprietary, but relaxed look, and in his eyes was just a little more light as well. Izark raised an eyebrow at him. "That came through did it?"

Liam's lip twitched up. "I think I will greatly enjoy having such a powerful partner. Only two other people can reach my depths." He tipped his head at his master and mistress.

"Likewise," Izark said. "I will enjoy learning from you." He looked to the leaders of this party who had gotten them moving forward. "And from them."

Once they were on the road, as a group they leaned forward over the necks of their horses and the horses lept out into long strides that ate the length of space at high speeds, but the travel was not uncomfortable. It was new to Izark, who only had run a horse to escape things, and that fairly rarely, but he settled to it soon enough, then noticed the joy the others had in the speed. He considered it, then smiled. It was the same joy he felt when he ran just to run. He hadn't done that since he'd been young. His youth didn't bring fond memories, but singular instances like that one were.

 _Izark, they tell me you can hear at this level?_

Izark glanced at Liam and nodded. He considered, then looked at his connection to Liam carefully. It was still 'young'. He tugged at it gently, pulling it 'down'. ' _Can you hear me, Liam?'_ He sent from the second level. Liam looked at him quizzically. Izark raised an eyebrow.

After a bit, Liam asked, _Experimenting?_

Izark nodded and tried again. ' _I'm lower, Liam, inside. Can you hear it? Come down a level deeper to where the communication level is. I think we should be able to do it. This place is close to the world of light and you said you are 'deep'. Come down and meet me here at this level.'_

 _Izark, I can hear you, but I'm not sure you're hearing me._ It was on the wind.

' _I will listen closer. Try again.'_ Izark quieted himself in that layer and tried several different way to listen, since things were different in this world. What was it Noriko had said? He frowned, trying to remember. It had begun as a thought to 'push'...oh, right, 'into'. Desire 'into'. That might be why Liam could hear. He wanted to, and naturally for his world did the 'into'. Izark closed his eyes, took a breath, then put the desire to 'hear' 'into' his link to Liam.

'... _though this really is rather odd for this world.'_

' _Well it was for us, too, actually.'_ Izark grinned to himself at Liam's sudden startle. He waited for Liam to steady again, then tried again. ' _It is called 'mental telepathy' in Noriko's world but is not considered a real skill, only a thing of legend and lore.'_

He had to practice the listening again. That really didn't come naturally. ' _It probably isn't even lore here,'_ Liam answered. ' _At least, I've never heard of it.'_

' _The whispers on the wind are smiliar, but above.'_

' _Mistress Ilena says they are at the level she thinks, and that Master Zen has heard it from the beginning because he also thinks at that level. He had to learn to put it in the background.'_

 _'That's interesting...that it would be at the level of thought, external thought. This is internal thought, though it has to be desired. We wouldn't hear any random stray thoughts.'_

' _Oh, that's relieving, at some level.'_

Izark nodded. ' _My privacy is also important to me, but the only place that is removed is after you go through the door at the core of yourself to actually enter the world of light. There, thoughts and emotions are like the life force and are everywhere and in everything. You can purposely 'speak' to individuals, and when there are individuals, they will be polite and ignore, but for the most part it is also natural there, and gentle. As distinct beings others must be invited, or I suppose evil might be able to violate, but polite visitors don't go digging.'_

' _You've learned a lot, then, about all this?'_

' _Noriko has studied it and taught it to me, for the most part, though our gifts are different, so I've had to learn some things on my own. The top level is the level of connection - where the person one is connected to is located, how far, that kind of thing. This level is the level of communication. The next level down is the level of emotions - a rather dangerous level, actually...particularly when one's partner is female.'_ His wry humor went across the connection and Liam's humorous condolences came back. Izark raised an eyebrow. ' _Actually that was just an example of that layer.'_

' _Oh, was it? That's natural for the partnership- the most connected part, actually. We very quickly know what our partner is feeling, so that we can help them be strong when they are weak.'_

Izark considered that. That was also opposite of what he and Noriko would have expected. Liam waited patiently, and Izark could feel that patience through the link. He 'looked' at it for a while, 'feeling' the connection. ' _That feels the least connected, to me?'_

' _It takes time to build, what Mistress Ilena said before we left. As we stay close to each other, it naturally occurs. The longer time we have together, the stronger the emotional connection - that is, the more correctly we 'guess' what the partner is feeling, and the more correctly we 'guess' what the partner needs to recover, or be comforted, or be strengthened. I'm particularly gifted in that and it's my role for Mistress Ilena. When Master Obi and she must be separated, I fill that hole for her, understanding her emotional weakness and what she needs to be strengthened in it. He far surpases me, though. He instinctively and without thought or consideration gives to her exactly what she needs. It comes easier to me now that I've been with them for several years, but they say because of the enforced time they were roomed together right after they were made partners, more than two months - the longest I've heard partners be that close - this link of theirs makes them almost as one. Not that life's perfect.'_ The last was wry with experience.

Izark snorted in agreement. ' _As I said, Noriko and I also have to use words sometimes.'_ Liam's agreement and understanding was silent, but felt. ' _Let me think a bit. I need to understand a thing.'_ He felt Liam's aquiescence and his slight withdrawal. Izark rose up to fuller awareness as well. He wanted to understand why this world's natural progression was the reverse of his and Noriko's. It was possible she and he saw it backwards even. That they actually 'rose' through the layers, not fell. They went further 'inside' is really what they did. He frowned. How was that related to the 'putting into'? He thought for some time, then sent what he'd come up with to Noriko to let her add it to her 'board' and figure it out. He smiled a little to himself. He liked that turn of phrase. It made it a better way to think of how Noriko worked when she was deep into her personal study of an issue. She worked on intimate boards, one puzzle at a time, not country-wide scale boards, but it was still the same.

He tried an initiation of conversation with Liam, 'putting' a desire to communicate at that level into their connection. He was mildly surprised when it went smoothly and easily this time.

' _Yes, Izark?'_

' _When you are speaking on the wind to me, is it in the same language you use to speak to each other? At first when we come to new worlds, Noriko and I only get the translations of words spoken directly to us, so I can't tell the difference.'_

' _It's a different language, a coded language, though in the Scholar's Tavern Mistress Ilena used the regular language spoken at that level to speak to you. When we were on the castle wall watching you practice, they forgot and naturally used the coded language.'_

' _Thank you.'_

' _Ah...do you usually use this for communication?'_ The emotions were a bit chaotic - embarrassment, confusion, worry.

Izark sent back his standard 'soothing' at a low level. ' _No. I'm using it to give us both practice and increase the connection. Plus, it's a little easier for me when we are running at high speeds. I didn't often before so I'm still a bit focused physically on staying put and riding.'_

A little humor came across with the relief and acceptance. ' _Ride with her, not against her and she'll be able to lengthen her stride a little and get more comfortable herself, then you'll both be more comfortable. Here, come to {here and see}.'_ The words seemed to shift location and distance.

Izark followed his presence back to where they had been before when Liam had taught him to ride through their link. It was a sideways motion into the plane he and Noriko would use to both speak and to see each other, but it was also in the realm of 'feel'. Izark was careful to let Liam lead. He would otherwise pull Liam into the actual 'seeing' and confuse them both. He felt and watched Liam's motion on his horse until he was riding his own horse the same. They let go of each other and Izark practiced it on his own until the stride was more comfortable and easier for both him and his horse. They both mutually sighed in relief... and they caught up to the others shortly thereafter.

Izark was surprised when two by two, but never pairings together, his companions began taking naps on their horses, while the horses still ran. ' _Izark_.'

He turned to look at Liam. ' _Yes?'_

' _It's my turn. Come follow me to feel how it feels, but don't sleep yourself yet. You go after I wake up. I think we are closely enough connected now, you'll feel when I'm waking up. That's when you should try to sleep. We'll be running all night, so this is the time, even if you can only manage a light doze.'_

Izark kept his thoughts and emotions to himself on that idea, but nodded, and followed Liam to learn how it was done. When Liam was waking up, Izark did notice it and was a bit surprised he did. He watched, expanded a bit to see the rising. Eyes stared back at him for a moment, both sets surprised. Izark carefully held still, fighting his natural reaction to flee sharply. It would hurt them both if he did. Somehow they'd almost merged. ' _Liam?'_ he asked cautiously. The eyes blinked, then slowly the men disengaged, but stayed at that level.

Cautiously, ' _Izark, is that what you look like in your world?'_

Cautiously back, ' _That isn't what you look like in your world, so I wouldn't think so. What did I look like?'_

' _Ah, brilliant blue eyes, darker than Master Zen's, black scales, a horn in the center of your head, slit pupils, like Master Obi's. It seemed like there might have been wings? but we were too close for me to tell.'_

' _That is my form when I am almost to my light form, and is considered my dark form, my demon form. Because I'm both a creature of the world of light and the physical world, that form can come upon me in the worlds, but I prefer it not to. It's a rather painful transformation, actually.'_

' _...I would think the horn would be.'_

Izark sent back calm affirmation.

' _...Has ...Noriko seen it?'_

' _Yes. She surprised me the first time. She was not as afraid of it as I was and consoled me. I had already been falling in love with her and that sealed it. If she could love somthing like that within me, I couldn't leave her or let her go.'_

' _...I can understand that. ...What did I look like?'_

Izark thought back. _'I only saw large dark eyes. Come back here and let me look.'_

' _You aren't frightened? You seemed very afraid.'_

' _...Noriko and I have postulated that we will be fighting our next fight here in the world of light itself against darkness. Seeing you, a thing I haven't experienced before here, surprised me and made me think I'd already found a thing I promised I wouldn't yet. I'm not afraid of you...or me anymore.'_

Carefully Liam moved closer to Izark at this very odd level Izark had never been in before. ' _Well, you're more human in form.'_

Liam was staring at Izark his eyes wide. ' _You do have wings and a tail...and those are wicked spikes.'_

Izark nodded. ' _Noriko calls them my armor. It is both to frighten away enemies and to protect, and possibly harm any who will attack anyway.'_

' _You had to look like that, really?'_

' _Once. Ah, no, twice. Painful both times. The horn came more frequently as did the hand claws. I learned to control when they came and became...calloused, I suppose. Once I was fully connected to the world of light I didn't have to any more, so chose not to. That form is human with soft white wings - much preferable. Because I'm blocked from the world of light here, I can't access that form, though.'_ He couldn't keep his worry from leaking.

There was a pause, then comfort came back. Izark was slightly surprised, then sent back gratitude. He looked at Liam again. ' _It's not quite feline, but the feel is...no, it's a cross between dragon and feline. Less [lizard] than what the pictures of Earth - Noriko's world - show dragons to look like.'_ He indicated his own tail and wings. ' _She called me dragon, prefering it to demon. A dragon in her world is rather like a sky demon, though just as mythical. You have the dragon eyes, which are cat eyes, the pointy teeth like both.'_ He bared his teeth to show his own pointy canines. Liam nodded. ' _But it doesn't look like scales and the tail is more like a cat's tail.'_

Liam whipped around, then groaned. _'I don't know why, but that seems the greatest insult, to have to have a tail.'_ He looked back apologetically. _'A sorry, didn't mean anything by it.'_

Izark shrugged. ' _Tails are for balance. I haven't seen you move yet, other than up to the roof, but your balance is so fine I suspect you'd have to have a tail for the finer control or you'd be angry when you tried to move.'_ Liam's tail swished and he looked startled again.

' _Have you been here before?'_

' _No.'_ Izark was careful. ' _I was watching you come up from sleep, trying to understand that part of the connection. This is not a place I'm familiar with.'_

' _Is it the world between waking and sleeping, then?'_

Izark considered that while Liam looked at his hands and played with the claws a bit. They were shorter, but looked sharper than Izark's. ' _That would seem logical.'_ Izark finally said. ' _But I don't know if it's peculiar to this world or not, since it's my first time.'_ He felt a tugging and held very still to stay put.

' _Izark?'_ It was faint.

He sent a 'come here' into the link connecting him and Noriko, then sent a desire to know where Noriko was into the link as well so he could follow her progress.

' _Izark? Are you okay?'_ It was stronger. ' _I'm getting sleepy.'_

' _I'm okay, Noriko. Go ahead and doze. We think we're in the space between awake and asleep.'_

Surprise came back, but also an affirmation and lots of curiosity. He smiled to himself. That was very like her. He felt nervousness and looked back at Liam. ' _No, please stay. If you will welcome her, she will be less afraid of being here.'_

Liam, who had been about to wake himself up, stopped in surprise. ' _That is rather the opposite of what I would think.'_

' _She's like that. I told you, her first sight of me was a reaction of attraction, the complete opposite of what I expected as well.'_

' _Izark? And, who?'_

Izark didn't look at her just yet. Liam's reaction was enough to make Izark decide he'd better get all his speaking out first. ' _Noriko, this is Liam's demon form. We met here as I was watching him come up out of sleep. We surprised each other enough that we stayed and we were wondering where 'here' was.'_

' _Well, I'm mostly asleep above, so I would say at the nexus of sleep and aware. Can you move in that form outside of this place?'_

' _We haven't tried yet. It's been recent.'_ Her hand brushed his wing and he trembled slightly, remembering she had said she liked them as well. She'd only seen them once before, briefly, these black leathery ones.

' _It's a form of spirit, so it didn't hurt, right?'_ She asked, concerned.

' _Yes, it's spirit. No, it didn't hurt. Ah, you shouldn't look in my eyes, I would think.'_

She sent back humor and a negation, then turned to Liam. ' _Liam, may I?'_

Liam's image trembled as if merely asking the question was going to send him into awareness. Izark and Noriko instinctively both wrapped him in light and comfort, holding him in place. Noriko's peaceful kindness added the flavor, or smell, or that undescribable sensation that made the hold gentle. ' _Liam, it's not something to be afraid of. Likely in your world you won't ever have to be this, but it is a kind form.'_

Liam blinked. ' _Kind?'_ Disbelief colored the word.

Izark's amusement tinted the space between them. ' _It looks to me like you wouldn't hurt as much to transform. Is that what you mean, Noriko?'_

' _Well, I guess there's that too,'_ she answered absently, then moved past Izark to walk up to Liam, who stiffened a little in alarm. Izark nearly woke up just looking at his wife's back. He had to tamp down his reaction with everything he had. He hadn't been wrong on his world. She was also a dragon, but she was a white dragon with delicate wings and as she moved, rainbows could be seen within the white and scattering off her translucent wings. He couldn't decide if the tail made him feel like Liam and was an affront to her, or if it was his favorite part of her. She carried it, most unconsciously, curled up in the air like a curious cat's tail and it waved slightly side to side with her walking.

When she reached Liam, she reached around him and gently took his tail in her hand. ' _It is fur!'_ she said triumphantly. ' _That's awesome, Liam!'_ The tail twitched in her hand, suddently freeing itself. Liam panicked at bit but Noriko laughed lightly. ' _Tails have minds of their own, don't they?'_ She asked. ' _I've watched cat's and dog's tails and really, they say everything, plus are essential for balance, particularly in cats...and creatures with wings.'_ She looked back into Liam's eyes. ' _Oh, tawny - tiger's eyes. Like Obi's. They're a beautiful soft, too. They said you're assassin, right? Your smoky grey coloring is perfect for that, I would think.'_

Izark could feel Liam blush and had to fight his own blush, and tamp down jealousy for the first time in a long time. He knew she meant only kind things by her words. He couldn't help moving closer as well, though, one step, before holding himself. Liam's eyes flicked to him, and rather than apology, it was more desperation that was sent to him. That helped him know what to do. ' _Noriko, please, come back here. You've made him more nervous.'_

Noriko's willingness came through, but she looked at Liam first. ' _I don't know why we are here, or why we are learning these things, or why you are like this, too, in this far away place where it perhaps shouldn't be possible, but the world of light never does things without a purpose, without bringing many people more light and helping those in trouble who need help. If we are learning about this and you are as well, then we all will need it before this is at it's end. Please, don't be afraid of yourself, or of us. We'll need your help to help your world. Will you try?'_

Izark sent Liam his own conviction, courage, and strength, as well as comfort. When Liam was strengthened by it, he nodded once, then disappeared, the light eddying around the space he had been in. Noriko sighed, then turned to face Izark. Izark was caught. He'd seen the light come from her eyes before, but here in this place, she definitely glowed. Her eyes were brilliant crystaline green. He wasn't sure if he moved or she did, but she was suddenly in his arms. He was careful. He didn't think he could hurt her here, but he didn't want to tempt it. The armor sticking out of his arms was on the outside, where it wouldn't hurt her unless he turned them too much. His claws were not retractable, so he also had to be careful with his hands, but he'd already practiced that many times with her early on.

He put his hand on the back of her head, feeling this form's curly hair cascading down her back in golden-white tresses, as soft as it looked. _'You're beautiful, Noriko.'_

' _You've said that before_ ,' she teased him. He had said it often to her as she grew old and he didn't on his world and had kept the habit up when they both were growing old on hers.

' _No, really, this form...is dragon, like I guessed, but it is beautiful.'_

She put her hand up to his hair. ' _Blue is too, I'm glad to see it again.'_ She ran her fingers, that were lightly tipped with short claws, through it like she had so many times before in that first lifetime. She reached the end of the long strand of hair, then paused. ' _You say I'm dragon too?'_ He nodded, still lost in her. ' _Do I have wings, too, then?'_ She tried to turn and look, then paused and her wings stretched out to either side until she could see the tips. Her eyes went wide.

Izark tensed his arms and body and held her as she played with extending them further and tried to figure out how to make them flap. He laughed in her ear. ' _Don't leave me yet. I still want to enjoy this beautiful creature who has come to visit just as I get my turn to rest.'_

She stopped playing with her wings and looked at him again. ' _Oh, are you at a time you can visit?'_

Izark sent assent. ' _It's my turn to sleep while on horseback. I'll be happier staying right here, though.'_ He kissed her, mindful of his horn, not caring that his lips weren't really made for kissing. ' _Care to learn how dragons mate?'_

Noriko blushed bright red. They spent the rest of their time together learning and exploring a lot of things about themselves and this new space they were in. Liam finally had to call him out, though by that time they were seriously exploring the space, trying to understand how to get to it and what its limits were, and how it fit into the rest of their map, which seemed to be a bit woefully inadequate now that they were learning so many new things in this universe. Izark made sure to walk up with Noriko towards being awake until he was sure she would return to her body and he to his. He didn't want one of them to be lost in that part of the world of light without the other, and he had his connection to Liam to help him, but he wasn't sure if his connection to her would work the same since he had begun by going in through his and Liam's connection.

When she was safely on her way, and had told him she was awake, he finished rising up to his own body, carefully watching his own transition to try to understand it better. When he was in his body, he paused, then sat up slowly. His horse had stopped and the others were waiting for him. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, then waited to hear his orders. Liam pointed to his own eyes. Izark blinked, then pulled in his power and not only did his eyes change color, the horn retracted on his forehead back into his head. He put his hand to his head when it was done. "Well, the calouses are gone, of course." He looked at Liam, who had grinned slightly in reaction to Izark's own humor. "How much else came out?" Liam didn't answer. Izark looked at his fingers. They felt just a little painful at the tips. He flexed them. "They should have at that level." He looked at the horse, but he hadn't damage it, and was relieved. Then he frowned, "Actually, I'm surprised I'm still on the horse."

At that, Ilena smiled. "They're used to us wild people. You didn't smell any different, and Liam kept quiet about it. I'd like to hear more, but it will have to wait. This is our dinner stop."

Izark raised an eyebrow, but nodded. As they walked into the small village inn, Izark held back with Liam. "Dinner, already?"

Liam nodded. "We've been running all day. Sun's almost down."

"Was I asleep that whole time?" Izark was stunned.

Liam shook his head. "No, you weren't paying attention to time all day, but you only slept your cycle of two hours. You and Marcus had last shift for sleep." He looked at Izark a moment. "You really do look like that."

"How far did it go?" Izark asked.

"Just that far," Liam said.

Izark relaxed. "Good. I'd really not like to have it go farther when I'm not paying attention. Noriko gets very angry when I destroy perfectly good clothing." His eyes flew wide and his hand went to his head and he groaned. Liam held out his hand. In it was a perfectly split bandana. "Thank you," Izark said with relief. "It comes back each new world, thank goodness, but she made it for me. If I'd have lost it this time she would have been very angry."

"Not for splitting it?"

"No. The promise was she would always fix it, since the first time. It's been repaired so many times we don't count anymore, though I do try to take it off first when I know ahead of time it's going to happen." He put the bandana in his pocket and led them into the inn.

Hesitantly, Liam asked, "Is that the first time for her, too?"

Izark looked at him, then answered tightly, "Yes. I'd always suspected she was dragon also, but that's the first time to see it."

Liam also was holding himself tightly. He put his hand on Izark's shoulder and held it with a tight grip. "You're a lucky man, Izark. If possible, I'd really rather not see her again, or you need to do a better job of protecting her for your own sake. I'll have Mistress Ilena give you the lecture tonight." With that cryptic message, Liam released him and they moved to the table the others were already sitting down to, both of them quiet - until it was lecture time. Izark humbly listened closely and took it to heart. He felt bad for making his newest partner both very afraid of him, and afraid of Noriko.

-{o}-

' _Izark?'_

' _Yes, Noriko?'_

' _Can you talk for a bit?'_

' _Yes, we're on the road again.'_

' _So are we. Apparently I just slept holding on to Kiki ...before.'_ He could feel her blush and he grinned (inside). He loved to tease her romantically. To have left-overs was fun, too. She knew he did it and often played along. This time had surprised her though, so it was even better. ' _This land is very beautiful, with lots of trees here. It's very nice to know that monsters aren't going to come charging out of them. They say the forest only goes to about the southern edge of Wilant and further south into Clairnes is cleared land for farming - and sheep!'_

Izark laughed at her, inside. She loved to play with hair and her outlet was to knit. If there were sheep here, and they were going to be here any length of time, she would certainly want to purchase yarn and needles. ' _Is the horse you're on like these? They seem small for two.'_

' _No. They are big, more like the horses of my world, sleek, tall, broad in the barrel, unlike the ones in your world. Short-hair, which is probably a good thing.'_ She blushed for that, too and he sent back a tad of a teasing scold for her behavior with his horse. She laughed back. They stayed together companionably for a while.

' _I've been thinking...'_ Izark relaxed in relief. She had some ideas to bounce back to him. ' _Being in the dream world made me remember the hair monster and the first demon in your world we fought. It tried to make me be afraid based on my memories, but it couldn't do it because it couldn't access any memories of mine, though I never did understand if it was because I was from another world, or just hadn't made memories in that world. It could only use the memories it knew from when we arrived there. You said it accessed all of yours, though, right?'_

' _Right. The frightening ones from my childhood, the ones that made me sad, all the negative emotions it could pull up from the memories of my living there until it showed me one of you. I used that memory to remember the positive memories you'd given me to break free.'_

Noriko considered that for a moment. ' _What do they do with those? Is it the memory they want?'_

' _No. It's the negative emotions. Negative emotions are what feed demons. The demon kept the spirits of the villagers locked into it's barrier to continue to feed itself the negative emotions it made them generate.'_

Noriko was a bit surprised at that answer. ' _Well, then you definitely can't be a demon. That wouldn't feed you!'_

Izark smiled a little to himself. ' _I had someone else tell me that when I was younger, too, but it was hard to believe her at the time. Children believe what they are told the most.'_

Noriko understood that. ' _Is that why all the negative emotions were held in the moonstone crystals in the cavern of the source of evil?'_

' _Yes. They fed the priest, who himself became someone who fed on those. Rachef, himself, in the end was also feeding his spirit with them. That's why he died, too. That source of 'food' was gone, though he was still human at the same time. I think that is what they meant to do with me. Steep me in that environment until by necessity I also required those kinds of negative emotions to survive...that's my theory, though.'_

' _So...it is possible for a human to become to some degree a demon in that sense.'_ Izark didn't answer. He didn't want it to be true, not really. She pondered it for a while longer. ' _Rachef was obsessed with the drive to feel accepted, and at the same time to be in complete control. Is it possible for people to be effected at a the lesser negative emotions, do you think? Like anxiety or worry or pride?'_

' _Possibly,'_ Izark said cautiously. ' _It would seem plausible.'_

' _I've been thinking about the king. It still doesn't seem right to me. I understand they respect him highly, and it sounds like he doesn't have a desire to control or have power, or any of those things, but it does sound like he might be very concerned about the country. What if a 'demon' has been giving him memories, or dreams from that place we were in earlier today, like nightmares, to push him to think more and more about his concerns for the country, until he's begun to have obsessive anxiety? Or if he had it before and the demon is using it to its advantage. Ilena has been increasing light in this world. Perhaps if it's starving it's trying to push this country, that took it's food, into becoming its next feeding ground by toppling the king? If this country fell into chaos that would be a lot of people in misery. Especially if it took Ilena and Zen with it. They would only need to become sorrowful or distraught or angry, not even dead. Then it would have more food. Like they wanted to turn you into the sky demon by taking me away.'_

Izark was stunned. They could actually all be going to be the feast of whatever creature they were after. If it got him, too, things might be very bad. But...they needed to face it and right now they didn't even know its lair. His personal protection might be that he was not a citizen of this world or dimention.

' _If you could find out if the king's been having nightmares and difficulty sleeping because of anxiety, then we might have the clue we need to be sure that's what's happening. ...It might help you to know. When we are sleeping, we dream in a state we called [REM] which stands for rapid eye movement. Our scientists discovered that if they woke a sleeping person when their eyes began to move behind their closed eyelids, they woke disoriented for a bit, but when asked what was going on, they said they were dreaming. There was a period of time they took to recover, and then they were grumpy, if they were kept awake. If they were let fall back asleep, then they thought the short time of being awake was part of the dream. On my world we call that state between awake and asleep the place of dreams. I don't know if it is. I only know for sure that REM is the external sign of dreaming.'_

' _I'm concerned that the king is under the control of the demon. That it has made him believe a lie in order for him to believe he must be doing this so that he can be either enslaved or killed. There might be real assassins after him, but if there is an underlying evil, it needs to be addressed, too.'_

' _I'll talk to Ilena and Obi and see if I can explain it to them. If they won't believe me, I'll see what I can find out when we reach the king.'_ Izark promised.

' _Thank you, Izark. That would make me feel better. ...Have you tried going 'up' yet? We talk about going 'down' into our core. And we've been experimenting with 'into', but have you tried 'up'? I've been thinking that if their world feels backwards, maybe we should be trying that direction? The 'into' is reverse of our 'expansion'. I can't see up for myself yet, but maybe if you could try?'_

Izark blinked to himself, considering that. ' _I'll try. If down is blocked, and by darkness, maybe we should try that way. How have you tried to get to 'up'?'_

' _By going up into it.'_

' _Have you tried 'pulling' it down to you yet?'_

 _*Gasp* 'No, Izark! That's fabulous. I'll go try it.'_

' _Hey, hey,'_ He laughed at her instant enthusiasm, so typical of all her research. ' _Don't leave me behind. I'd hate to lose you somewhere strange.'_


	5. Understanding

_*Major spoilers for The Missing Princess Book 4.*_

* * *

CHAPTER 5 Understanding

 _Liam, is Izark busy?_ The horses had changed configuration and Ilena and Obi flanked the two new partners, looking significantly at them. The other four were were now two in front, two behind, as if Liam and Izark were being escorted. They made a strange group. All eight of them laying nearly flat over their horse's backs making it look like the horses were riderless, only carrying baggage that didn't move much, just flowed with the running horses. It was easier to talk as a group using the whispered coded language of the Ministry of Intelligence because it carried farther and over the drumming of the hooves. They used the 'local' code that only went a short distance. When they received reports of the progress of the king, the 'long distance' code was used. That was a louder 'song' that carried farther.

 _Yes, Mistress Ilena. He's talking with Noriko right now._ Liam looked at her as if it should be obvious. ...and really it was. She just wanted to make sure.

 _Can he understand us yet?_

 _No, not yet, unless we're talking directly to him, still._

 _Good._ _Explain what happened earlier. Why did he look like that?_

Liam's sigh was audible even over the pounding of the horse's hooves on the hard dirt road. That's what he was afraid of being asked, they could tell. His face was the same as always, but they could read him now, knew that he didn't want to talk about it, but all of them needed to understand and they weren't going to let it pass. Izark presented something they'd never seen before and were having troubles comprehending. Ilena wasn't even sure how to put him on her board. They'd seen his powerful - frightening really - feats of strength and speed, but that wasn't enough for her to be sure of his placement, and they needed to get their plan put together soon. They would reach the king before morning.

 _Well...really, he's pretty open about it, as you heard when he woke up. It surprises me, really. They are concerned for good people, and want to help where they can. I think that has made him not as suspicious as he could be with us._ Liam was stalling.

Ilena considered that. _It sounded like they've had Family like us before. He seemed reluctant even still at first to show us everything , but was willing to let Obi teach him. He's probably only tested the basics of his power, and is still hiding some. Some of it is their concern with how fast things are moving, right?_

Liam nodded. _Yes. He's spending a lot of time trying to understand how our world's 'world of light' works compared to what he knows, and so is she. That's probably what they're talking about right now._

 _But, why did he look like that?_ Obi brought it back to the concern at hand.

Liam took his time to formulate an answer, then sighed again and shook his head. Glumly he told them, _You remember he said in his world I'd be a demon?_ They looked at him wide eyed. He nodded. _I would be, apparently. Earlier today he'd been trying to understand our partnership from his view point in the world of light. I told him he'd probably feel me waking up, so when he did, he came to look from within the world of light. We scared each other at the place between waking and sleeping._ He stopped and looked between Ilena and Obi. Even Petroi and Thayne in front had turned to look over their shoulders at him, disbelief on their faces. He sighed yet again and waited for it.

 _It really exists!?_

 _Yes. I only got to see that part of it, but Noriko called for him and he brought her from where they usually walk to where we were._ He worked very hard to keep both the blush and the image down where they couldn't be noticed by his own mind. Izark had properly apologized, but the initial damage had been done and he'd have to fight himself for a while now.

 _Sooo...,_ Obi said slowly, _the horn?_

 _In that place I got to see his real form, at least what it looks like when he can't actually be in the world of light proper. That's part of it. He can normally control it, he says. I think some of the experimenting they did in that space made it appear here. That's what it felt like, anyway. I don't think he expected the physical reaction to occur at the time. For all that he was very calm about it on the surface, he was rather dismayed, and worried. He doesn't want people to be afraid of him._

 _...Actually, I didn't want to believe it, because it_ _had_ _felt like a dream when I woke up fully, but the horn and claws were exactly what I'd seen in that place. It exists. He's really what he says he is. He likely won't transform any more than what he did then. He doesn't like to and says it's painful. When he's fully connected to the world of light he is fully human, but with white wings, he says, so it isn't painful. He's worried because he can't get there here, at least not yet. I think that's one of the things they're trying to find for him, so he can._

 _It would be good,_ Ilena said, _if he didn't transform again while he is here. We already know how to keep secrets. People would not react well, I think._ The Sons all agreed. They were having a hard enough time as it was. Only their court faces had saved them when he had woken up and they'd had to face him directly.

 _I think it would be cool to have real cat's claws, though,_ Obi mused. _Those talons of his looked wickedly useful._

Liam shuddered. _Master Obi, please be careful what you wish for._

Obi looked at him mildly. _Should I be worried?_

 _You're as deep as he and I are, Mistress Ilena, too._ He left it at that. No, he really didn't want to see Mistress Ilena in that place. She would be a nineheaded dragon each with the different faces of her personality. He'd cower in that presence, though in waking reality he was one of the ones who kept it calmed.

"Oh, Obi." A turn of the head, "And Ilena also, good."

"Welcome back, Izark," Ilena said calmly.

"Sleep well?" Obi grinned at him.

Izark raised an eyebrow at the tease. "It isn't restful to receive lectures, Obi, as I'm sure you are well aware."

Obi grimmaced. "Yes, well, it isn't, you're right. Have you come from one, then?"

Izark was just a little grim. "Well, only partially, truthfully. More it was worrisome theories and more experimentation."

Obi got serious. "We'll hear it, if you have anything to say. We'll be to the king around dawn, so need to be prepared with plans before then."

Izark paused. "I need to know everyone's worst fears, your internal weakness. I would normally caution you not to tell anyone, but Noriko thinks we've been brought to help you fight against a darkness that can use them against you. If I know what they are, I can help you fight against them, and how to plan so they aren't used against you."

"Are you a strategist?" Ilena asked mildly.

"No, a tactician," he answered honestly. Obi was taken with his directness.

Ilena gave him an amused appraising look. "I will break if Obi is taken from me to a place I can't reach him ever again. Death ...or another world, I suppose, now that I know it's possible, though I'd follow him."

Izark nodded. "That's mine as well. If Noriko is taken from me, I turn very destructive in my desperation to get her back." They all looked at him soberly. If he was willing to tell them his weakness so upfront, he was very serious about the threat they faced. It was a reciprocal request for help. Ilena and Obi both nodded, understanding the request.

Obi answered almost coldly, "Mine is to have those I love harmed. Anyone, but Mistress and Master are on the top of the list, and if Ilena is even threatened, I will loose control of my 'inner demon' - the heriditary violent anger of my family. I won't even let it get to death. Things will die first instead so they don't."

"Will you tell me - do you know what the king's fear is, his weakness?" Izark asked.

Obi looked over to Ilena. She was nodding. "Losing the kingdom. Or rather, having it fall. Second is losing Zen or I or his wife. That's why Obi didn't want either of us coming. He was thinking of that."

Izark looked at her in the eyes, holding her gaze. "That's what Noriko guessed. The demons use negative emotions as food. She says that if you've been increasing the light in this part of the world, it's possible there's a demon that was feeding on the darkness you've taken away and it's hungry and wants to punish you for taking it's food away. It may be doing that by trying to bring darkness and misery to Clarines through the loss of your king, particularly trying to bring pain to you."

Every horse screeched to a halt, nearly throwing Izark over the head of his since he wasn't prepared. He hadn't perceived the signal Obi gave that brought the horses to a stop. Obi grabbed him and held him down, then didn't let go, his grip tightening and his golden eyes bored into Izark's, his pupils going into slits. Izark blinked at him, then held up a consiliatory hand. "Ah, you do have demon in you, too. I'm not your enemy."

"No, I understand that," Obi said, but his voice was still hard. "But what you just said needs to be discussed fully before I let my wife continue on this path."

Izark looked at him, then nodded. "I would also prefer that, but how shall we proceed? Stopping entirely is not likely going to help the King."

"A walk then until we understand it. Ground will still be covered that way." They got going again, but now they sat up and listened and talked. "First of all, is a demon killable?"

"Yes, with the power of light. Light itself sort of dissolves it. Removing completely the source of food, or energy does as well, though I'm not sure we can really do that since all worlds have darkness in them somewhere. I've killed a few with my own energy and power, though it takes a lot. I can do it because I'm the 'king of demons', as Ilena mentioned. Other strong demons could injure or absorb lesser demons, but I don't know if they can kill other demons."

Obi looked at him. Izark was keeping something back. "You think this one's your match."

Izark looked at him, his face court smooth. It was Liam's look that was more telling. Obi was right. He scowled. "Then don't fight him alone. If light kills them, let Ilena and Noriko help. I will too, but it will be internal energy only since I only reflect." Izark turned an exasperated look on Liam. He shrugged apologetically.

Izark made him pay. "Then Liam has to help, too," he said quietly. "He also has the power of a demon to fight a demon." Liam slumped.

Obi looked at Liam firmly, and nodded. "Liam, too, then. Anyone who can will. The Family protects Mother."

"And Father," Ilena said quietly from the other side of Liam. "And we all protect the King and Regent." The rest nodded.

"The demon's physical form will need to be handled. If possible, we might be able to expel the demon, but if not, or if it's a person who has accepted it willingly, we will have to kill the host. That could be handled by those who can only affect physical things." Obi growled, claiming that person or creature. "If there are lesser beings that it's using, we'll also need protection from those." The four guards all raised their hands, taking that duty immediately.

Izark turned to Ilena. "You have easy access to the world of light. You would be best suited to head the attack on the demon. Do you remember I said that empathy opens the door?" She nodded. "Noriko taught me that compassion is the arm and love is the sword of the world of light. Your ability to love all people, even all of Clarines, will be what will remove the darkness from this world. Use your empathy and compassion to recognize that to release it from the pain it's giving itself is merciful to dissolve it back into the light. Wrap it in light and love until it is gone. If you can't manipulate it, I'll call in Noriko. She can, even if it's someone else's. You will need to give her permission, though."

Obi's breath caught. "That wasn't what I expected to hear you say at all," he finally breathed around his surprised confusion.

The others were having to rearrange their expectations also. "No," Liam said in his soft voice, "that is right. That's how she recovered all of us and how she recovered Tarc."

Izark looked at her. "If you've already dealt in Tarc that way, then if you fought against a demon it should be gone, or very weak." Ilena smiled at him. He returned to his topic. "As far as attacks, they use emotional and mental attacks, which is what is most concerning Noriko about the king right now. They add to the negative emotions and obsessions humans naturally have to heigten them, then feed off of them. If the King has become obsessed with worry about his kingdom, due to nightmares fed him by the demon, and then has been made to believe that what he is doing now is the only solution, but it is leading him to ruin at the hands of the demon to bring darkness to Clarines, this must be addressed first, to free him from the grasp of the demon. I can do that, because I can enter his dreams, though I may need help since he won't recognize me and I haven't met him yet."

"Each of us will also be attacked the same way. That's why I asked what your weaknesses are. Because Noriko and I are off-world, it will only be able to access the few memories we have earned here, but it will use all of yours from your youth on until you're consumed with fear, anger, and doubt. Then it will eat you, so to speak, and make you continue to live that cycle - or it will make you act in madness, killing others around you to make you break even more when you come to your senses, when it's the more dangerous ones who know what they're doing. This one is sufficiently intelligent enough it will break at least Ilena, and failing that, Obi. Those who have the most light are the most dangerous to it so they focus there first. Then it will try to defeat the strongest, or the one who's defeat will cause the

most damage to the one who has the most light." Obi looked nervously at Ilena and she looked worriedly back.

"Noriko and I were both alternately targeted by the first demon. Her first for her light, then me because I was strong enough to defend her. Once I was trapped by the physical form, it took off after her again. Our friends helped us then and we were eventually able to defeat the physical form. The demon took damage, but fled weakened, and came after us later, nearly killing Noriko, sending me over the edge." He gave a wry sideways look at Obi. Obi understood completely. "It died, of course, but I paid a price. I was lucky Noriko was kind...and strange." Liam looked away as if he didn't know anything, so he did, of course. It must have to do with Izark's transformations, Obi decided.

"That's going to be a problem," Thayne said with heavy sarcasm weighing his words. "That bringing up the past thing. Not only do all of us have terrible pasts we don't really want to be living again, if it gets into Mistress Ilena's head, we'll lose her all over again and she won't be any help at all."

Izark looked at him in alarm, then at Ilena. "Will you explain?"

Ilena sighed and drooped. "I'd really rather not."

"I will," Obi said quietly. Izark looked at him and waited. Obi looked up at the night sky, breathing the air and feeling the space they were travelling through. "In the house of College, where I was born but no longer accept, there has been a long generational curse of rage that flares without warning. Often, madness accompanies it, or the anger makes one to kill someone at a time they didn't want to and that breaks them enough to cause them to go mad. Beatings were common, and by my great-grandfather's generation, and probably before, when a servant, or even family member, was punished by the head of the house, they were beaten, then placed in a box in a room. The box was just big enough to fit an adult body. They were required to stay there overnight, at a minimum, longer if the anger was hot enough to not be cooled."

Obi didn't look at Izark. It was a horrible story for anyone in any world. "My father would only be irritated with me, the third son, and I could be beaten for it. If I was found and beaten, I was in the coffin for three days." He clenched his hand on his arm, trying to not think of the things he was saying. It was a penance, his to say, but it still wasn't easy. He closed his eyes, took a breath, then looked down again. "Ilena hated my father for it and manipulated my oldest brother into killing him. It got rid of my father, for which I was grateful, but it made my brother mad. He hadn't expected my father to die of the blow. It was a sudden unexpected thing, and it slowly broke my brother, twisting him to madness. When I was eleven, he snapped and killed our second brother and his wife in bed at night. I knew he was coming and escaped the house."

Obi looked at Ilena with pain in his heart. "I learned much later that when he hadn't found me in my room, he went directly to Ilena and dragged her out, then the rest of the servants. When they couldn't produce me, he beat her to unconsciousness, then put her in the coffin box...for seven months with only one meal a day."

Liam put out a hand and held Ilena's arm. Thayne pulled out and fell back to be next to Obi, putting his hand on Obi's shoulder, gripping it strongly to give him strength in return. Obi was grateful. His fingers were so tight on his arm now, he knew there were bruises forming already. Izark was looking at him with compassion. Obi looked away and Izark turned to look at Liam and Ilena. He didn't say anything for a while, then a soft feeling of compassion, strength, and love wafted over the group. Obi looked back at Izark in surprise. Izark was concentrating. After a bit he relaxed and looked at Obi. Obi raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ah, that's part of what Noriko can do. It's what you all do naturally, and they were doing for each of you. Sending the strengthening emotions to soothe the negative ones away. Your partnership bonds that form allow you to do it. It's a specific connection to the world of light. Because Ilena is connected to all of you, and to me through Liam, I can send it to all of you, though I had to find the right connections first and only send it on those lines. Liam was right. She has thousands of connections. If I just sent generally, I'd be wiped out in no time trying to calm everyone who doesn't need it. You comfort those in pain because the emotional connection is two way. You feel the pain the same as you send the comfort." He smiled wryly. "Noriko and I fed each other's negatives early on. That was bad. When both of you are afraid, it's hard to calm down and be brave. It is necessary though. One of you has to in order to balance it."

The others looked at him. "You like to lecture, too," Obi accused Izark.

Izark sat up straight and looked at him surprised, the sat back, chagrined. "I'm sorry. I guess Noriko has rubbed off on me. I used to keep my mouth shut pretty well. It may also be because all of you so easily seem to understand it anyway and it seems like it might help you to hear it."

"No," Ilena said slowly, "it is helpful, at least for me. I can easily understand your words that define for me things I've never understood except to say they feel natural. That helps me to plan and see myself better."

Izark nodded. "Noriko's like that, too. It was her who had to research the world of light and put it into words in order to comprehend it. That helped us both immensely as we travelled the path we were required to take on my world, and gave me the hope I needed when I was so afraid before we were able to enter the world of light the first time."

Obi looked at Izark. It was hard to comprehend that this person, who seemed so calm, was obviously powerful, and claimed to be two and a half lifetimes old, could be afraid, but ...he was human and he loved. That was enough. Those who loved were afraid for their loved ones at some level all the time. They had already admitted to being extreme cases, Izark included. "How do we defend against the attacks?" Obi asked.

"When we were attacked the first time, the demon showed me all my frightening memories from when I was young all the way up until I met Noriko and the time we were currently at. When it showed me Noriko, I was able to slip the memories, so to speak, and remember for myself all the times she had showed me compassion, concern, all of my positive memories of her. Then I was able to break free and retrieve my mind and get free of the hair monster." Obi felt a shudder of distate. A 'hair' monster?

"Noriko, not being of my world, was only shown memories of that immediate attack, then the demon gave up and used temptation instead, tempting her with powers that it thought she might want. It was trying to lure her into the hands of the waiting monster that would have destroyed her, while her mind was occupied. She knew that she didn't need what the demon was offering - her own power being enough for her, and she broke the spell by rejecting it and running in the opposite direction."

He looked at the people surrounding him. "If you are already aware, you can recognize that the memories and thoughts or temptations should be rejected. Reach for your own positive memories, remember your own blessing and strengths. The king has forgotten them or he would have stayed in his castle. His fear has overwhelmed him and he is going into the jaws of the monster. This is what I believe."

Izark looked at Ilena. "If you find yourself in the coffin, remember you have hands to hold and there is no darkness." He looked at Obi. "If you find yourself being offered more power to protect your loved ones, remember you are already strong enough and there are many set to help you, enough that you don't need more. Seek the source of strength and light within yourselves and it will not be able to overtake you." He sighed. "And I'll try to remember as well. Liam," he looked over at his partner, "keep sending desperation and fear. Then I'll know if I feel mocking triumph it isn't you and I can kill it."

Obi looked at Liam, his eyebrows raised. Liam was looking at Izark, and his eyes were wide. "Absolutely," Liam said with conviction. Then he relented with sad eyes, "But...I will try to change that afterwards. It hurts you, too. You might want to make sure even if it is desperation and fear, that it might not be me. I promise, I won't take her away. I want to continue to look you in the eyes."

Obi comprehended, though not why. He put his hand on Izark's arm. Izark was quick to look at him, looking at the hand first. Obi left it on purpose. Izark would need to get used to it. He looked the slightly taller man in the eye. "Izark, I too, had to trust Liam with my wife. He has promised it. You can trust him." Izark looked impatient and irritated about the eyes. Obi shook his head. "He hasn't told us. It's sufficiently evident just by those words. That was the same promise he made me. He has never broken it and we have needed him in the place he is in."

Izark sat back finally and nodded, but kept his thoughts to himself. Obi figured it would take a little more time and let it go, taking his hand back to Izark's relief. Obi smiled to himself. This Family liked touch. Izark was going to find it difficult, perhaps.

"I think," Liam said slowly, "that this all sounds very familiar. Like what we lived through as we waited to enter Tarc." Heads turned and then there were nods. For Obi that meant remembering his own strengths and knowing his friends were helping him and being his support so he could get his task done without failing.

"It does, actually," Ilena said and frowned. "My nightmares were always of failure and the terrors were of Obi's death."

"What did you do?" Izark asked.

"We woke her up at the beginning of the dreams, if we could." Marcus said instantly.

"I sang to lull her to calm, held her hand when she was living the coffin dream and spoke to her to negate the dream and let her know the reality, like what you said would be the proper defenses. When she believed Obi was dead, we took her out and had her speak with him on the wind."

"I also set into place things to calm my day mind," Ilena added. "I sent additional forces to protect him. We agreed, upon Liam's suggestion, that whenever he was in an enemy camp they would constantly send what they were doing down to us so that I could hear in the background that he was safe. I used that truth to reject the randoms fears that would arise. And it helped me fight against my enemy in my dreams because I already knew that Obi had survived that day with honor."

"The one time he did get into trouble during that time of speaking his actions," Liam said thoughtfully, "we all immediately went to her and stood with her, giving her the calming and strengthening she needed until we were able to hear he had survived. If it had been worse, I'm not sure what we would have needed to do, but we would have done it."

Ilena nodded. "In that case, once we heard back on his state, it helped to know he had people present with him who were sufficient to care for him until he recovered, and that he had been taken to a safe place to recover with many others to protect him." Izark nodded as if he understood that very well. Ilena frowned slightly. "As I recall, there were many things that happened in that fight that were serendipitous. Thayne broke free in time to save Justinian and his guardians got rid of the ones on Thayne's tail so he was safe. Petroi got free and somehow managed to run into the clan that helped protect him and then all of them while Obi healed. Obi was saved by the hamstringing of his horse, though that was sad, and the fact that he had to breathe sleeping gas kept him still until he healed. There were other minor things as well that all added up to him being saved from certain death, and by the very clan we needed the greater alliance with later."

Izark actually laughed. "Yes, that does sound exactly like how the world of light works. It puts you in a terrible spot, then hands you all the solutions, followed by the blessing and you wonder when you're going to stop spinning. We had that happen to us on two occasions, well three if you count the final battle. And then to a lesser degree after that. When the world of light interferes, things happen. We have to get through the frightening and painful parts first, but when you see it enough, you can do that with hope that a blessing is coming that is worth it. My blessing at the end was Noriko - apparently forever, or as long as I'm supposed to live, which I can't be more greatful for, since she's mortal and I'm not." The last was said very reverently - with awe and gratitude.

"That is a great blessing," Obi said, amazed.

"The darkness sounds the same too, but so does that of Obi's family. Both or either could be demons working against you. I assume you brought light to both places?" Izark asked Ilena.

"Yes, and to Selicia as well, when we freed Tarc from the Lord of Tarc."

Izark was immediately on that piece of information. "There was a specific person involved?"

"Yes. He was behind the coup in Selicia that killed my family, was bringing darkness to the clans of Tarc, and was invading Wilant. I did all I did from the time he killed my family until he was dead, and since then, to correct his blind, mad darkness."

"Was that a madness of unreasoning or cold calculation?"

"Unreasoning, in the end. It started more calculating."

"Was it the same for the College anger?"

"Yes. By the time of Obi's brother, there was no calculation, but it used to be famously known for it's evils that couldn't be traced back," Liam answered that one quickly. "Izana and Zen's father took out my family before that, also a house of evil that couldn't be traced."

"And Izana just took out a few years ago the one in the north, though he left one alive to walk the earth."

"Four?" Izark was stunned. "I take it there was enough overlap they weren't likely all the same demon were they?"

They thought about that, then shook their heads. "No, if they were all bases for demons, it would have to be four distinct ones, but that doesn't mean they had to be, does it?" Ilena answered.

"Well...perhaps not, but the Tarc one, and the College one sound like old demons that lost their way or finally became strong enough the hosts couldn't last long carrying them. It is possible you killed them, but it's also possible they were only injured and fled. The one in Tarc sounds powerful if it affected three different countries. A household would be a smaller one. We might be looking at one powerful and three smaller demons, or as little as two smaller ones."

There were sad looks around the group. "Sad?" Izark asked.

"It's the one Izana took out just before we went against Tarc. They would have cause to want revenge, and it's the one left to walk the earth. We were hoping he'd come to see the light, like Liam did." Ilena took her turn to reach out to Liam and hold his arm. "It is possible...that he will be at the center of this. I would hope he wouldn't be willing to host a demon inside him, though."

Obi shuddered. "Ilena, he already did, even at the castle when I saw him the once. It was all over and in him, the slimy darkness that coated him with oil."

"Still...," Ilena said sadly. Liam patted her hand where it was on his arm.

Izark took a breath. "Ilena, it is good you have compassion for him, but if it is him, you must understand that it's time to let him go. He will only bring great darkness and evil to this place. You will have to kill him with your light and love. I'll help you, if you need it, but you will have to be the one to do it in the end. Keep trying to win him until the end. The world of light wants him still, even like you do. The one Noriko and I had to fight...he was like that, could have been my own brother in fact. The greatest evil he did to Noriko the world of light allowed so that she could try to reach him one last time before his destruction. When I went to kill him, that's when Noriko taught me to use compassion and love. We were given empathy for him, and I showed him the world of light before his body crumbled into dust. We still hope he is striving to reach the light."

Ilena nodded. "I already understand that," she said calmly. "I already knew I would be either his salvation or his death. We've only been waiting for him to decide. I will release him if it is necessary. Knowing he can continue to try is comforting."

Obi nodded, "And when I went to kill my brother, Ilena sent me with the same words. To kill compassionately to release him from his suffering and madness, but not with anger and hate. I was able to understand and let him go in that way."

Izark looked at them with pride in his eyes. "You've already done well on your own. ...It surprises me we've been brought here." He considered for a moment, then moved on. "Well, we need someone to protect Ilena while she works on that one. I'll take the powerful one, with Noriko's help. Obi should probably take the one from his family, though it means he'll be fighting himself at the same time since he'll have an affinity already. And, since we have Liam here, I'll bet he's supposed to take out the last one, having the same difficulty as Obi."

Everyone sighed at that. "It would be really nice if we could do them one at a time," Henry complained. "Then we can support each other better. Mistress Ilena is going to need at least Liam, and he's going to need at least one more to remind him he's okay. Master Obi's got Petroi and Thayne, but it wouldn't hurt to have one more, and if the strong one from Tarc shows up at the same time, it will take everyone all together, based on how hard we had to fight last time."

Izark looked back at Henry in surprise. "Well that was a thoughtful summary. So how do we make it happen? Is it likely this one is just the one that wants revenge on the king? Or would he have gathered the others together?"

They looked at each other. "It may be just the one...he may be working in concert too. The neighboring country is beating war drums, similar to the Lord of Tarc. That demon...would he be big enough he would go there and try again?"

Izark nodded. "If he needs countries to sustain him, yes."

"The Lord of Tarc used the College house."

"So that demon would use whatever he could find and might use this other assassin, then, to begin his works?"

"Yes." Ilena hissed it becoming angry. "Exactly the same. I hate that one, with a passion."

"Then the powerful one won't be here. The other three might be, but that one won't. It won't come itself unless it did before."

They all shook their heads. "It's the one that manipulates dreams, though," Liam said. The rest agreed.

"Then they're working in concert, the same way," Ilena spat, "if it's using nightmares on Izana to bring him to Salen Penchant."

"Ah," Izark held up his hand, "they _all_ manipulate dreams or memories. That is not a guarantee that it is that same demon." They weren't sure they liked that or if it should be a relief. "Ilena," Izark said slowly, "When you fought it before, did you walk through training times, where you fought on lesser levels until you learned how to face the large challenge in the end?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Yes."

Izark shook his head with a bit of a smile on his face. "That's how the world of light works, too. It teaches slowly, giving learning experiences along the way. That's why we fought the lesser demons first, then worked our way up through, learning as we went. My guess is there will only be that one this time. Noriko and I are learning much already, and I have taught you much also. We will now get to put into practice what we've discovered, making mistakes and learning from them as well as we go, I suspect."

Everyone groaned. Ilena nodded. "Completely understandable. Give me a few mintues. Obi call for the update on status. I want to know who exactly is in the garrison Master Zen is headed to. That location is a focal point. Tell him to wait outside and not enter it...say an hour out until we are close enough with Izana. Either we'll get the second demon there, or the first for all of us. I'd like him to have us close enough to defend him and Noriko also." The songs went out on the wind as Ilena's orders were passed along and she thought.

"I'll tell Noriko what we've worked out and she can tell Zen," Izark said quietly in general.

Obi nodded. "Well go back to running, then I think." The group reformed again and was on the run, hooves beating out the rhythm of the race headed for the King of Clarines.

As Ilena thought, and they waited to hear back, Obi also thought and thought, until a terrible thought came to him. He fell back to ride beside Izark. Not getting an immediate response, he put his hand on Izark's back and shook him. "Izark, Izark!" He couldn't hold back all of his panic and some came through in his voice. He swallowed, waiting.

After a pause, Izark turned and looked at him, "Yes, Obi?"

He was glad the voice was calm and kind. "Izark, do demons stick around home? Even if their food is gone, how far do they go, really? The little ones. The Colleges have been in that area a long time, they were the kings of Wilant a long time."

"No, they won't go too far unless they have to. They're like humans. They could go, but unless they really can't find food, they won't. Unless it's for revenge, I suppose."

Obi nodded and moved back up to ride next to Ilena. Once he had her attention, he asked, "Ilena, where is Salen? I know you've been watching his movements."

Ilena looked at him. "Still in Wilant, one of the small central villages, keeping his head down and staying quiet."

"Izark says the demons stay close to their homes if there is enough darkness to feed them. We are coming down towards Clarines. I don't think this one is Salen. I think it's more likely the one from Liam's family...particularly since it's called King Brother out." He frowned, and it was hard to keep his rising concern down. "I know we've protected the castle well, and Mistress and the children, but really, will they be able to stand against Salen? And...if the College demon still walks, it will easily want to head there to torture them to torture me, and is the closest to the castle."

Ilena's eyes widened. She whistled and all the horses came to a halt again. "Izark, contact Noriko and have her stop Master Zen. We must conference."

"Please have Noriko explain 'demons' to Master Zen." Ilena said when they were stopped and standing in a circle to conference again. Izark passed on the request verbally so they knew he had sent it and waited. They waited with him until he said the explanation was completed. "Please tell Master Zen all of the following." Izark nodded he was ready. Ilena began to speak and at each of her pauses, Izark repeated what she had said aloud.

"Zen, Obi came to me afraid for Mistress Shirayuki and the children. There is a possibility the demon that may be in Salen Penchant, or the one that was likely in Marcovik and controlled the house of the Colleges for years will head to the castle now that the strength has left it undefended. I have sent a request for current information on Salen's location and that he be closely watched for the time we are gone." She paused, "Izark, where would the College demon have gone?"

Izark frowned, repeated the question for the sake of the other group, then answered, "Another person, or perhaps a creature of sufficient strength and intelligence. Perhaps Obi would have been easiest, but otherwise it would have to be someone with a similar energy of mind to itself, that is: a similar desire to control and desire darkness. It could be anyone."

Ilena waved a dismissive hand. "It isn't Obi. If it could be anyone else, that is too broad. We will have to just wait and see who enters the castle. Repeat that please." Izark complied.

Ilena continued, motioning to Izark he was to pass on the next bit. "We expect another demon is working here against Izana, the one that might have been controlling Liam's family. The greater one working in Brulac was likely originally in Tarc. Izark believes it will remain there until you go against it there. Izark will face that one to destroy it because he says it is the most powerful, needing entire countries to feed. It may be that Liam will need to face the demon that may have been from his family, if it is still here. Obi will need to face the demon of the Colleges. I will face Salen Penchant if he is on the move. The Sons have asked if at all possible to have us face them one at a time so that all may help each time."

When Izark was done transferring the message, Ilena asked him to give his own assessment. "I can't guarantee it, but the world of light works by teaching in increments, and it sounds like it holds true here as well, from the description of the war with Tarc, so we may only need to worry about one at a time. I believe your brother is under the influence of the greater one in Brulac but that the demon that Liam needs to face is the one that has been sent to destroy him. We need to free him from his nightmares, if he is having them, and any negative obessions or he will fall and the destruction of Clarines begin with it. This is how things stand as I understand it."

"Noriko and I are limited still, though we are trying our best to understand as quickly as possible to be the best help we can be. Ilena is already fully connected to the world of light and therefore strong. I haven't seen if Obi has reached the door to the world of light in himself, because there hasn't been the opportunity to tell, but he is of the light and strong. You, Zen, and Princess Shirayuki are also closely connected with the world of light and are strong. For now, consider me a strong warrior and Noriko a weak woman. It works for us until we are properly connected again. And I do still need her protected as well so that I don't go dark on you."

There was silence around the group of eight and their horses. The house of Ilena looked at their guest, waiting patiently. Their guest was obviously disconcerted. "Izark, it's okay. We're waiting for Master. He will now have smoke rolling out his ears as he puts it all together from his understanding. Just tell us what his questions and orders are, when they come," Obi explained.

Izark tried to relax. Liam stepped a little closer to him and put his hand on the back of his left shoulder. Izark looked back at the hand and then Liam. Liam merely stood still, refusing to move. Izark turned back to Obi, a touch of impatience in his eyes.

"Izark, in our world, in our Family, touch is important. It's the way we convey strength and support. Relax and receive it," Obi tutored him. He watched until Izark's eyes unfocused in the way they did when he entered the state of looking inward that meant he was trying to understand things in his own way. Obi looked at Liam then. When Liam's mouth twitched upward briefly, Obi relaxed slightly. Izark had finally understood well enough to accept Liam's support.

"Izark," Ilena said, drawing his attention again, "while we wait let me teach you another thing. In this world, the people support their lords who support their overlords on up. The reverse is also true. The King orders the people below but from the position of support. Obi sees it as lights, I see it as a garden. The kingdom is upheld by trees. The greatest tree in the garden is the King. He supports the whole of it. He has placed trees that are greater than the others, but lesser than him, to support it with him. He planted Zen to support him by carrying Wilant. Zen planted me, with Izana's permission, to support him both in Wilant, and to carry Tarc. Together the three of us are the greatest of the trees in the garden. Each of us is in turn supported by a tree. The Queen is Izana's. Obi is mine. Mistress Shirayuki is Master Zen's. Around all of us are planted other plants that support us in supporting the kingdom. Other smaller plants in turn support them until you see the whole of the garden. In order for the garden to stand, all the plants are needed, or the trees will fall. All the plants must obey the trees in order for the garden to stand as well, for they are tall enough to see what the garden needs to thrive and be healthy. When we are obedient, the light increases. When we are disobedient the light decreases."

"There is a reverse effect as well. If the tree that is the greatest errs, it is the responsibility of the secondary trees to bring it back into alignment. If the secondaries err, the greatest and the lesser also must give voice. Each member of the garden has that responsibility to correct weakness in those above and below it so that the garden doesn't fall due to rot or warped growth that could have been prevented. If they hold their tongue and allow weakness in those around them, they receive their reward of a decrease of light. If they give voice and are heeded, they receive their reward of an increase of light. It is their responsibility to continue to give voice until they _are_ heeded, or remove that plant that is bringing darkness so that one that will bring light can take it's place. This is why we fought against Obi's brother who was an Earl, to remove him from his place because he was only darkness and would not be swayed to correct his weaknesses. This is how countries stand properly and full of peace and happy people."

"We answer to Master Zen and Mistress Shirayuki and we stand to correct them. Master Zen answers to Izana and is the proper one to correct him. We all answer to Izana and he is the proper one to correct us if Master Zen does not or will not, and Master Zen answers to him and is corrected by him if we do not perform our duty to correct him first. It is the same with support. If Izana has need of support, we must stand to do that, and be always obedient to his words. Obi and I also support Master Zen and are obedient to all of his words. They listen to our words, but do not have to be obedient to them, unless we are correcting a weakness, and then they have the choice to allow that weakness to remain or not. We maintain the order and light of the kingdom in this way. ...I thought it might be helpful for you to understand this in your thinking about the way the world of light works in this place."

Izark pondered for a bit, then asked, "What does darkness do to the garden?"

"It poisons the plant that accepts it. Eventually that poison seeps from the roots into the ground around it, poisoning the plants that are with it. It will spread if the plant, or plants, are not removed or the thing poisoning the plant isn't prevented. If it rots the plant, all around it will topple. The king was ignoring his plant of the queen and she was being poisoned, though she was fighting it. I scolded him severely because he would not listen to his support plants that were closest to him, warning him of it. Then he listened and began to correct his error, seeing to his wife properly and properly protecting her and teaching her to become the strength he needed to be able to lean on. If he had allowed it to continue, the poison would have darkened her until she was poisoning his own ground and he would have eventually been toppled, bringing the entire garden down. He has been learning even better to rely on the strength of those around him since then."

Izark's eyes lit up at the last, but he kept silent and considered it seriously. "Obi," his next question came, "do you see light in the king?"

Obi hesitated, then with an apologetic look at Ilena, shook his head. "No. He is strong and irritating and a very good king, but I haven't seen in him the same light that I see in Master, Mistress and Ilena. ...That's not to say it isn't there. He and I don't particularly get along for personal reasons." Izark took the answer without comment, still thinking. _He gets the same smoke out of his ears Master gets._ Obi commented to the others, humored.

"I understand." Izark looked at Ilena calmly.

Obi blinked. It took a moment, then he finally said, "It's as simple as that, huh? It feels familiar somehow." He looked at his wife, slightly accusingly. Her lips lifted slightly at him, and he recognized the teasing look in her eye. He rolled his eyes and settled with a slight huff.

"Zen asks, 'Izark, if he's recieving nightmares, can you enter them from a distance or do you have to be with him?' My answer is that the world of light is not bounded by distance. I would need someone to show me the way to him, because I haven't met him yet, but I don't need to be near him. If I'm near him then I wouldn't need assistance because I could see him."

There was a bit more pausing then, "Zen ...orders?" Izark lifted a quzzical eyebrow at Ilena and continued, "that I try to enter King Izana's nightmare tonight as he sleeps in the saddle to see if it's given to him by a demon, and if it is to defend him. One from here who knows the King should go with me, but preferably not Ilena. When we reach the King he is to be brought to Zen at the Southeastern Garrison to answer to him for why he has done this, and he is to be protected in the doing of it. If Ilena determines there is danger at the garrison itself, he will meet you at the inn in the village nearby. If we need to do that we should bring the King in secret to keep him protected. If the village is compromised he'll have the Children of the area direct them, and us when we arrive, to a safe location to meet. If at all possible, we are not to meet with the King's contact yet, nor any enemy, except to defend the King at all costs if he is under attack."

When it looked like the message was complete, Ilena said, "Tell Master Zen I will have an answer for him as to a safe meeting place as soon as possible." Izark repeated it, then followed everyone up onto their horses again. He seemed a little intrigued at their instant obedience, but it was what they did, especially Obi, who grinned at him with a tight grin of purpose. "Izark, you are already partnered with Liam. Your connection with him will help you get to Izana. Liam, if your connection to Izana is too weak, let me know." Liam nodded at her, wondering at how she could assume all of what Izark said was true so easily, and they got going down the road again. The horses were the better for the rest and ran well and with energy again.


	6. Siblings

CHAPTER 7 Siblings

 _Damn. Damn, damn, damn, damn!_ The mantra continued over and over. Izana had never been so frustrated in his whole life. His carefully set board, most of which was still fine since they were the little things that weren't too affected by big things, had been overturned. Someone had come along and knocked it off his table and a wind had scattered his pieces. He'd been left with few choices and he didn't like any of them...except this one that gave him one chance, one hope. He had left his castle completely and utterly protected, keeping his Queen wife and his heir safe while he tried to set his board back to rights.

He loved his wife right now, with all his heart. She had taken his simple explanation of, "My board's been smashed and I have to set it right. Please forgive me. I've protected you and our son to the best of my abilities. I'll try to not be gone long." And she had not complained, not shrugged, but had wrapped her arms around him consolingly, then said, "Good luck. Tell Ilena I'm counting on her and give Zen a kiss for me." He'd been in shock, or he would have wept. Not that he'd ever give Zen a kiss, even for her sake, but that she had completely understood.

They had been working hard, Haki and Izana, since Ilena, Obi, and Shirayuki had all become part of the family and recognized by the House Wisteria. They had the examples of the younger two couples, and their push to get better since the older ones were behind, and because they _cared_. It had made the biggest difference to Izana, that someone other than him actually really did _care_. Cared that the kingdom stood strong and healthy. Cared that he was doing his best. Cared that the people around him cared and were strong for his sake.

He'd always enjoyed playing the boards with Ilena, watching how she moved on hers, how that affected Zen's and ultimately his own. Making his own moves that benefited her to his own benefit. That all of them moved to the benefit of Clarines. He loved his little brother, though that was his secret. He was proud of him, too, and that was even more secret. To let him know would spoil him, he was sure of it, though he let it out occasionally just to annoy him, like any older brother should. Zen knew it anyway. Izana wouldn't have trusted him with the Regency if he wasn't proud of him. He wouldn't have given Ilena to him if he didn't love him, since Izana loved Ilena more. That was apparently not a secret to anyone, and that was probably Ilena's fault. She would hold his feet to the fire before anyone else would.

And that was because they all knew that if Zen had to, they all had a big problem. Because Izana was also, rightfully for a King, afraid of his little brother. He kept that a secret from himself so he didn't get paralyzed, or hate him. The Second Prince was his rival, his check and balance. If Izana so much as leaned the wrong way, his little brother _should_ come topple him. He expected him to. He'd trained him to, even, though he didn't think Zen knew that. He was very fortunate. Zen loved everyone, especially his older brother. And Ilena loved Izana enough to protect Izana from himself. If there was anyone who could help him it was those two.

He hated asking for help, though he relied on a kingdom full of people for help. A kingdom didn't run itself. He was known for his ruthless 'using' of people for whatever he needed them for. He used them where they worked best, never asking for things outside anyone's capabilites. If they weren't fit for a job they didn't have it. If they were, they were damn expected to do a good job where they stood, or they weren't fit, obviously. That was the way it was from the top down. He did make sure they were properly trained first. That was only obvious as well. You might have someone promising, but if you didn't train them right, they couldn't be what you needed. If it was discovered during the training that they couldn't handle the position, you stopped and moved them to what they could handle and tried again with someone else. That usually was so disappointing when that had to happen, he tried to be careful in the training to begin with to see that it matched their increasing strength until they were ready. He tended his garden very carefully.

He was secretly proud that Ilena called him the 'Master Gardener'. It was one of the ways she told him she cared, she understood what he was doing. He loved her, too. He was learning that it was okay to love her and love his wife. They were finally about equal after this last conversation with his wife. Maybe Haki had even edged up a little. Their son had made a difference, too. He loved being a father. It made him insanely giggly on the inside, and for some reason that made him relax and smile more. If he had to put a name to it, he finally had a reason to be _happy_. Not because he'd secured a future for the kingdom, which he had and which was how he had always approached it before the boy was born, but because he now finally had a family of his own, and a child who looked up at him with trusting eyes and a face that beamed to just see him - see his father walk into the room.

Izana wanted absolutely _nothing_ to disturb that little time of happiness he now had in his life. The upsetting of his board threatened that, along with the entire kingdom. He wouldn't let it. Wouldn't let it darken the kingdom, take his family's happiness, make his sister sad, make his brother disappointed in him. He would rather be scolded by both of them to get the board righted again than any of that. And he knew that they would do both, with calm practicality. The same as he would. He almost looked forward to it with intense, dark, glee. He would finally sit and have their hands on his board while they all figured out how to set it to rights again. Not the whole thing - the whole thing didn't need it. But the parts that did, needed them and they already knew how to help with it, too, because most of it was contained on their boards, the outline anyway. He'd fill in what they didn't know. That's how it worked and it was _fun_. Of course, the living of it was painful, but that was another matter all together.

It was that matter making him run through his mantra while his horse ran under him, the miles being eaten up slower than he wanted. With every mile, that was more time the enemy had to get closer to him, even if it was also two miles closer to his rescue that was coming. He had to live, and he probably would, but it was _so! Damn! Frustrating!_ He wanted to put his head down and sleep so badly. The back of a horse made that impossible, of course.

"Your Majesty, please, sleep," Lord Barret, Izana's Minister of Intelligence, most trusted aide, long time defender and head nag once again requested. "We're going to meet them at dawn and you are going to want to talk until the following dawn and completely collapse, further embarrassing yourself. At least four hours."

"I don't want the nightmares," Izana said coldly and firmly. "I'll sleep when I get there. Ilena will put me to bed without letting me talk anyway, even if Zen wants to scold me first."

"So you say, but they sound very concerned, and you haven't told them anything yet."

"You can do that," Izana said dismissively.

"And take your scolding? No, I think not. Besides, then you'd miss out on the fun, which would keep you awake, and we're back around again. Go to sleep. If the nightmare comes, wake up, then go back to sleep again when your brain has settled."

"You didn't bring any wine."

"No, I didn't. You don't need it and you're on the back of a horse. Go to sleep. ...Or I'll start giving you the other 'whine'."

Izana turned his head and stared at the man riding just as hard next to him as he himself was riding. "You wouldn't."

The eyebrow lifted to the challenge and Izana let his eyes go slightly wide - expressive for him. He got a stern look back. Lord Barret wasn't joking. Izana sighed and dropped his head. "You know, you make me feel like I'm five again when you do that."

"Only because you're acting it."

"I wasn't that hard to put to bed," Izana complained at him.

"You were. Go to sleep. Now."

"Right," Izana said very quietly, so only his 'nanny' would hear it. He'd really been very sympathetic to Zen's plight when he'd assigned Mitsuhide to follow him when he was a young rebellious prince, but it was necessary to make sure Zen turned out a real prince, so he'd done it and not let on. Not at all. And Mitsuhide had been very good for him. Izana supposed Lord Barret had been for him, too. He was generally grateful to him for putting up with him, and everything else he did for him. It was just hard to overcome those early years of really hating having a nanny follow him everywhere he went. Zen had the same problem with Mitsuhide. Izana saw it. It was one of those like/dislike relationships for them both. (It wasn't severe enough for love/hate relationship, which was good. Relationships that polar were destructive. The king and prince needed supportive relationships or everything would fall.) And now Izana himself had thought round again in his own thoughts. _Damn._ He slipped into sleep, giving up obediently. It was better than going around again - maybe.

*Izana! I told you to clean up this mess!*

*Mama, I did. I've cleaned it up over and over. I promise.*

*Then why is it still spilled all over?*

*I don't know why, Mama, I really don't. I've tried so hard.*

Izana strained, wanting out, not quite able to make it.

*Your father left it behind, ungrateful man. How am I supposed to deal with it without him. Fix it, Izana.*

*Mama, please don't. He didn't mean it. Please, forgive him.*

The mother in the dream's hand reached up to slap him and he cowered. He _hated_ this part of the dream.

The slap didn't come and he looked up in surprise. *Please don't hit a child. They are very precious and have tender feelings.* Izana stared at the man in the dream. He had never had this happen in the nightmare before. The man looked at Izana kindly. *Is this your mother?*

*No. My mother would never hit me and never called my father names. She was sad he died, and she tried her hardest, but her heart broke. I helped and so did a lot of other people and we put everything back together. I worked hard for them all - Mother, Father, Zen, everyone and we did it. I was afraid, lots, at the time, but we did it, and Mother encouraged me and thanked me often. This is not my mother.*

In front of his eyes the 'mother' shifted and changed until it was a man with smooth skin and a very ugly expression on his face. Izark, the child, cringed back again, but couldn't take his eyes off either man. The man who had come to protect him asked. *Do you want this person in your dreams?*

*No!* Izana was never more sure of anything.

*Who are you?* the protector asked the evil man.

The evil man struggled to get away, but the protector was stronger, and Izana wanted him to be even stronger, to win against the evil man. That made him change in the dream. His hands turned into strong claws and he grew a horn from his forehead, his ears became pointed, and his eyes changed to a deeper blue than Izana's own with slit-pupils. The protector smiled and he had elongated canines. *The child wants you to answer me, I think. Who are you?* The evil man was staring the protector in the eyes, now looking frightened. *I want to know the name of the demon who called me,* the protector almost purred it. *I already know where to find you. And you've shown me what your host looks like. What are you called?*

*I - I don't remember.* The evil man finally answered, then he shifted again until the protector was holding on to a creature that was so horrible Izana wanted to look away and he pushed more desire for his protector to protect him into him. The protector fought Izana's desire, giving an unvoiced warning that he would also change again. Izana didn't care. He put out stubborn desire again, a hatred of the evil that had been torturing him for so many nights now. He wanted it gone. He didn't care what his protector looked like.

Slowly the form of his protector changed again until he was completely covered in black scales with protective scales that stood out from his shoulders, forearms, and lower legs, that all looked wicked sharp around the edges. The feet became sharp claws and the clawed hands now were also black scaled. The hair, which had started long and black became long and blue, and the slit-pupil blue eyes under the horn glittered in the black scales that covered the face and the pointed ears. Compared to the evil creature, this was almost a beautiful combination and Izana was supremely satisfied. *Kill it.* He ordered.

There was a flash of light and Izana was suddenly awake, taking in a gasp of air.

"King Izana?" Lord Barret asked in concern from next to him. They were still running the night.

"How long did I sleep?" Izana asked immediately.

"You're just nearly to your four hours," Lord Barret said.

"How far away are we from Ilena?"

There was a pause, during which Lord Barret was listening. "One hour."

"Wake me up before we reach them so I have time to look awake." He instantly dropped back into sleep. He'd trained himself to sleep in the saddle long ago. He was absolutely certain he wouldn't have the nightmare again. He needed his sleep. He'd worry about the 'why' and 'how' ...and 'who' later.

Lord Barret shook him awake, but immediately put his finger to his lip, indicating Izana should be silent. Izana nodded and Lord Barret released him. They had four guards in front of them and four behind. They had changed formation so they now encircled the pair of men in the center. That meant the enemy was closer than they were all happy with. Izana loosened his sword in the sheath, not enough for it to come out from the run, but enough he could pull it quickly. His ears and eyes sharpened as he shifted into fighting mode.

Before an enemy could be sighted, he heard the sounds of multiple horse's hooves. He glanced at Lord Barret. Lord Barret nodded. Izana was pleased, but he knew better than to relax. People always relaxed at the news of escape, which always came before actual escape, and often ended up in the opposite happening. He kept his attention on the road around them. He wasn't at all surprised when the eight riders in front of them separated and passed them without slowing down. Nor was he surprised when there were the sounds of battle behind him. He was suprised when they were very short and three horses caught back up to him before that was done.

His guards didn't have much choice in letting those three come into the center of the circle, nor did he have much choice to all of a sudden have a passenger. He clicked his tongue as arms wrapped themselves around him from behind and he was being given a very warm hug that was more of a tight squeeze. "Your dear husband will kill me, you know." He said, not bothering to look over his shoulder. He put a hand on the clasped hands at the center of his belly, squeezing back. He was just as pleased to see her, but Obi was extremely jealous and Izana wasn't interested in calling that up.

"No, he already said I could. We've talked with Haki."

Izana sighed. "Of course you have." He relaxed a bit and let himself enjoy having her with him, just a little bit. Not enough to make spouses jealous. Her guards were eyeing him anyway, though he was ignoring them just enough to let them know he knew exactly that they were watching him and how he treated her, this precious sister of his. He lifted the hand he was holding in his and put it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "Thank you for coming to rescue me," he said, then put the hand on his shoulder, where it really ought to be. The other hand he put on _her_ knee.

"Who was my defender?" he asked.

She froze. He chuckled after his own internal momentary freeze. She cautiously relaxed. "You'll meet him. Don't kill him, please."

He was immediately cautious. "Where's he from?"

"Off world."

He turned and stared at her. He couldn't help it. He was only ever expressive with her anyway, but that went just a little too far. She wasn't kidding, or lying, and her eyes were just a little panicked, like his own hidden self felt. "He's come to help, but you need to hear his story from his own lips."

"You trust him?!" Izana was have a very difficult time with this conversation. It was almost worse than having his board tumbled.

"Yes," Ilena's eyes glowed. That almost scared him even more. He turned away. "What did he do?" she asked.

Izana took a breath. "He showed up just as the fake mother in the dream was going to hit me again." The child in him teared up. He refused it on the outside, but the emotion reminded him how badly he'd wanted that help, and how kind the man had been, even to warn him he might not want to see what he would become, but he'd ordered it anyway. It made him feel ashamed he was afraid of the man, but he still was wary. This was new, completely unheard of. Such things should be treated with care until understood and tested.

"He asked if it was my mother and I said no. The mother turned into a man who was obviously treacherous, but I've not seen before. He asked for the treacherous man's name but he wouldn't give it, so I wanted the protector to become stronger. He changed to have a horn and claws and asked the question again. The treacherous man was afraid and finally answered, then changed into a hideous monster that was just awful." He shuddered slightly. She gripped his shoulder just a little tighter, very briefly. "I demanded the protector become even stronger to protect me. He warned me I might not like those changes and I made him do it anyway. Black scales for skin, rather dangerous looking armor, actually. Blue hair and eyes, claws for feet and hands. Looked a lot better than the other monster. I told him to kill and there was a flash of light and I was awake." He paused, then said, as if to get brownie points. "I went right back to sleep, knowing I wouldn't dream again." It came out grateful. Well, he was.

Ilena sighed. "Well, that's the second proof he's who and what he says he is. I've seen the real horn and hands, though he can control it and doesn't let them show. He was asleep at the time, and in his own dream. He's very gentle in person, and married. His wife came with him."

Izana looked at her again, his eyebrows raised. "His _wife_?!"

Ilena nodded just as serious as before. "Really, really don't kill, or capture her. He'll kill us all, like Obi."

Izana tried to blink and couldn't. That was pretty serious. But he understood it now. He'd kill for Haki now, too. With that thought he was released and turned away slowly. "Right. ...I'm not so sure I like knowing the stuff of my dreams is real."

"No, I imagine not. Especially since the other thing you are thinking is true. Your dream was our experiment, sorry." She wasn't really. He didn't mind. "The other one, the monster, is a demon. We think it's the demon that was controlling the Lord of Tarc."

Izana sat up straight and four, or perhaps more, pieces on his board were suddenly back in place. "Gods, Ilena. Why does that have to explain so much?" he complained.

Ilena sighed. "Perhaps because it's true?"

Izana shook his head. "I don't really want it to be."

"No." She was quiet in her agreement. "Zen's struggling, too. He asked for the experiment. Liam observed - I've partnered them - and sent the report back from his point of view. Henry's sent yours back up."

Izana frowned at that. "You mean Liam watched the dream, or Liam watched what he did physically while he was in the dream?"

"The former."

"I didn't notice anyone else." He could feel Ilena shrug. She didn't know anything about how it worked either, then. "How does Liam get in?"

"Their partnership link. But don't ask more questions yet. The rest really needs to be when we're all together. Zen's only gotten partial information, too."

Izana nodded, then glanced at Lord Barret. He was gritting his teeth and swallowing, trying to get all this unstuck from his craw and having just as much difficulty. Izana tipped his head towards Lord Barret. Ilena leaned over, holding onto the back of Izana's jacket. Out of the corner of his eye, Izana could see her put her hand on Lord Barret's shoulder and grip it tightly. They knew each other well from the many years Izana had Lord Barret watching over her while she was at the College manor. Ilena had named him Uncle in her Family and Izana knew for a fact Lord Barret had cried when he'd heard it, the softy. They rode in sync like that for a while until Lord Barret nodded and Ilena squeezed his shoulder one more time then sat back up behind Izana, putting her hand in her own lap again, rather without thinking about it. She really didn't even need to be holding on to Izana, so he knew she was also still needing her own comfort. He relaxed, knowing it. It felt good to be relied on by her in that way. It made him feel all the more big-brother-ish.

And then horse's hooves were coming up behind them. He sighed. Obi wouldn't let her stay, but that was right, too. She was back on her horse before the other horses reached them. Obi's eyes were cat eyes. He'd surely seen her move even though it was barely light in the east sky, but since it was before he technically got to the circle, he'd let it pass, since he'd given permission. Actually, he probably knew Ilena needed the comfort, too. Izana relaxed and greeted Obi normally as he came into the circle to ride next to his wife, taking her hand in his. Yeah, she needed it still. Izana looked away. Obi was good for her. "How far?"

"A long ways, of course. Our horses are faster than yours." At least she could tease him, even if only a little.

"Then I'm going back to sleep. Wake me up when we get there, or if we get attacked."

"Will do."

He did cautiously make sure his 'protecting alien' was outside his circle of guards first, though. Lord Barret was keeping his own nervous eye on him. That was good enough. Izana was asleep again by the next breath. Oddly enough, he could feel the protector's presence with him as he slept, and he slept deeply and uninterrupted. At that level, he was grateful.

Izana opened his eyes, then closed them again and tried again slower to let the light in gradually. Ilena was sleeping on her horse next to him, as in: laying out, arms curled under her head, a leg tucked up, on her side, sleeping. He stared at her. He'd heard about it - he heard about a lot of things, particularly about Ilena - but this was his first time to get to see it. He was ecstatic on the deep interior where his emotions were and feeling like a young lad to watch it. He was also extremely envious. He so wanted to stretch his long lanky body out on a bed right now. A mattress would be better than the back of a horse, but the back of a horse looked comfortable too, looking at Ilena.

"Good morning, King Brother," a polite yet almost teasing voice came from the other side of Ilena. "She makes it look so simple, doesn't she?"

"It's rather astounding, actually," Izana agreed. "Isn't the saddle uncomfortable?"

"Yes, she'd rather be without it, but being in battle requires it. I'm not really sure how she does it with the saddle, actually. I've been trying to figure that out."

Izana looked up at Obi's face. He was looking at Ilena with a puzzled expression, but he looked up and smiled his teasing smile at Izana, feeling the eyes. Izana's eye could be hidden, but they always bored into people. People who knew when eyes were on them almost always knew he was looking at them...unless he hid. He was very good at hiding when he wanted to. He was very good at everything he did, or he'd not live to be a good king, let along a very good one. Obi gave him a teasing salute. Izana waited an appropriate pause, then turned away. "Thanks."

There was stunned silence from Obi that was gratifying. "Well, that was surprising. ...You're welcome. Master's worried, of course."

Izana tipped his head slightly. _Of course._ "How far out are we?"

"Not much longer. We'll go into hiding shortly."

Izana's heart clenched slightly, reminding him his brother loved him and so did his sister. He carefully didn't look at her. Instead he looked around at the other riders, starting with his Minister of Intelligence. He was relieved to see he was sleeping too. He also would be needed once they got where they were going. Three of the eight guards were sleeping as well. Good. They'd been able to do rotations so everyone should be on about the same page as far as rest went.

Four of the Tarc horses were out front and two behind. The two behind were to be expected - Ilena's two, Marcus and Henry. In front were Obi's, but they looked like his doubled. Izana blinked. Two long black haired men. Two light brown haired men. Only the slenderness of one over the other differentiated Liam and Thayne. The two with black hair carried themselves with the same ease and readiness for battle. Izana looked sideways at Obi. "Twins? Or did you manage to dredge up another cousin from somewhere?"

Obi gave him a wry grin. "They only look the same from the back. He's insanely powerful, but just as extremely gentle."

Izana pondered on that. "Ilena used that word, too. It doesn't fit the image of a warrior."

"No. But it fits the description of Liam."

Izana froze inside again just a little. "Is he really one?"

"No. He claims warrior."

Izana gave Obi an irritated look. Obi shrugged back. "You can wait or I can make it more complicated. Which would you like?"

"One step more complicated."

"The king is bored," Obi silently laughed at him, probably the only man in the kingdom that ever did. "In his world he's called a demon."

That was a sufficient and disturbing puzzle to work on for now. Izana sat quietly and pondered, hoping they were going to be done with the ride soon. For all he was very fit, the bones of his seat had finally rubbed bruises into his gluteous maximi. He shifted slightly, wishing once again he could rest his elbow on something. There was a shifting motion in front of him, and one of the black haired men was lifting a leg to rest the foot on the saddle in front of him and lean on the raised knee. Izana stared at the man, then kicked his own foot out of the stirrup, pulled it up in front of himself a little ungainly until he could put his elbow on his knee and rest his chin in his hand. He sighed. Finally.

"Your Majesty." Izana blinked, returning his focus to the present.

"Yes, Lord Barret - good morning by the way."

"Good morning. Here's your cloak." Lord Barret flung it around Izana's shoulders and he caught it on the far side to help get it settled, then painfully unfolded his leg and slipped the foot back into the stirrup. He'd sat too long in one odd position. He'd have to get use of that leg before he got off the horse. He reached behind himself and pulled up the hood of the cloak to cover his signature Wisteria white hair. Glancing around again at the horses, he was glad to see they were changing formation again to the one that said 'we're a squad from a garrison', not the 'we're protecting someone important' formation. He'd trained these guards himself and they all knew exactly what to do without orders. He relied on them heavily when out on horseback and they all lived up to that need and expectation. _Unlike some_ , Izana thought bitterly.

He didn't want to go there yet. He reined in his mind, calmed it, then looked for the smaller shaggy horses that had been accompanying them. They were missing. He raised an eyebrow at Lord Barret. "They've fallen behind." Izana knew why, and it was proper, but it was still disappointing. "Princess Ilena waved and blew you a kiss, to tease you." Izana sighed for Lord Barret's benefit, but the young lad inside was suddenly blushing, both pleased and irritated at the same time. She hadn't just left him impassively, but she was _such_ a tease. He'd wanted to pull that long black braid on far more than one occasion. "Obi pulled her braid for it." Izana gaped inside then laughed out loud, surprising his guards and earning a look from Lord Barret. Zen's wild people always did things like that to Izana. "I see Lord Obi's magic is still effective," Lord Barret said dryly. "...Though it is good to hear you laugh."

Izana sobered at that. That comment actually making the air meant he'd worried Lord Barret pretty seriously. He looked over from the side of his eyes. "Perhaps you'll get to hear it more now that I get to be tortured by them for the next while."

Lord Barret sighed. "More likely I'll be chasing after a certain nine and five year old again while the two year old and the eight year old scowl and complain."

"That wouldn't be all bad, would it?" Izana asked lightly, testing Lord Barret.

Lord Barret kept calmly looking forward, showing no outward change, and held his silence. Izana let it continue until his mind was captured again. "How are Haki and Paoul doing?"

"Fine. Keeping the routine going. They send their love. Paoul wants to know if his Aunt will come back with you and visit for a bit when it's done. I've told them it isn't likely, but she sent her love on as well and talked to him for a bit."

"Is he learning it himself yet?"

"Yes, he's got most of it down."

Izana was pleased. He personally didn't chose to learn Ilena's whispered and sung languages because his head was already full. If his son could learn it young, then it would come naturally and not interfere with the board he would hold in his own head later. "Are her's old enough for them to communicate the full distance yet?"

"Not competently. It's still mostly, 'Hi cousin. I'm playing swords right now. Bye!' That sort of thing."

Izana nodded. "Good enough." Just getting into the habit of regular communication was enough for now. That was the most important part of _knowing_ and you had to _know_ to have a useful board. That's why his closest aide was his Minister of Intelligence. Izana's board _had_ to be up-to-date and correct, or things like the current situation happened. Not that this was Lord Barret's fault, nor anyone's, really, except Izana's. He could already hear Ilena, though, scolding him for saying it was his fault, though he knew if she was in his shoes, she would be feeling exactly the same reponsibility and self-recrimination he was.

She would be feeling sorrow at the betrayal as well. Izana was just feeling frustrated, annoyed, and irritated. _And betrayed,_ his little internal voice added - the one that knew his secrets. Izana sighed at himself and for just a second let himself feel it, the sorrow, confusion, and pain of being betrayed by someone he really had believed he could trust. Then he tucked it back down again and moved on one more time. If they spoke it was better to let them out a bit. Otherwise they made trouble.

He'd learned that after getting scolded by Ilena and Lord Barret enough times, and from the first time Ilena had touched him, and from watching Zen. Zen's first betrayal had been bitter, the 'friend' holding him at arrow-point while the rest of his House used Zen as bait to call out Izana. Death had come to that 'friend' at the hand of Mitsuhide because Zen couldn't do it. Couldn't face that he'd been betrayed. Not suprising for a first time. Even still, he'd prefered to trust people before distrusting them, and had been able to make friends when good people came along, a few. Shirayuki notably, but Kiki and Obi, too. Ilena probably counted as well, though she was family.

Izana looked up at the blue sky. There was a flock of fluffly white clouds scattered over it, and was wide and expansive. He let the space take up his mind for a while to relax it. He didn't when he was at the castle, shutting out the outdoors so that he could focus, but when he was outside, he expanded and breathed, like stretching exercises before begining sword practice. He hoped there would be time for that, too. He needed to stretch his body after this long run...speaking of which. He held up a languid hand and Lord Barret whispered on the wind.

Once they were on the road again, eveyone glad for that brief stop, Izana realized the next part was hunger. He held out his hand to Lord Barret, who rummaged in his saddlebag, then handed over a package. Izana unwrapped it and added crusty bread, cheese, and apple to his stomach and washed it down with water passed over when he handed the napkin back. The food always arrived at appointed times at the castle, or he'd never eat, most likely. On the road it was only when he asked for it. He needed it to not interrupt his thinking. It was better to let it ride until his body did the interrupting of his mind, since they worked together rather well.

He came alert a few hours later and a few minutes later, they were turning off the road. He raised his eyebrow. Ilena was having them meet away from the garrison and village. Were they really so compromised? No. It was the 'guest', and likely it was Zen's decision. There were things they were going to show him that no one else should see, except those who could keep secrets. Izana nodded faintly to himself. Lord Barret relaxed slightly at that. He'd wanted confirmation it was okay, then, this choice of location. Izana was alert to their surroundings. One should always know what it looked like to get somewhere so that one knew how to get back out, at a dead run if necessary.

They arrived at a small manor home. It looked like one that the noble used rarely, preferring to stay near the castle. A small number of servants were waiting at the door - just enough for the running of a manor that wasn't occupied. Izana looked them all over, but it was Lord Barret's confirming nod he was waiting for. They were all either his or Ilena's then. He kept his public face on. Slightly amused, faintly interested, completely closed to conversation unless he initiated it. The ten horses pulled up in the courtyard and the ten men dismounted and walked on pained legs for a bit, as if all ten were soldiers, while the two men who were the steward and the stable hand, and the errand boy collected up the reins. They waited patiently for the saddle bags to be removed by half of the guards and Izana, who took his and Lord Barret's as if he was one of the guards as well. Izana preferred to look like the guards so he wasn't quite so easily targeted, and it left Lord Barret's hands free to defend his liege. Lord Barret led them into the manor home and they were escorted upstairs by the head maid and shown to five rooms, two to a room.

It was going to be a tight fit with the ten of them and the eight of the others, and however many of Zen's there were. "Are there any foursomes?" Izana asked.

"Mistress Ilena's will take one, and Master Zen the other," he was informed politely.

Izana raised an eyebrow. "Who is staying with Zen?"

"His two aides," was the polite reply.

"Show me to that room," Izana handed Lord Barret his bag, getting a frustrated 'don't tease your brother' look in return. He ignored it.

The maid bowed and led him to a room back down the hall a bit and let him in. He picked the bed he wanted and threw his bag on the foot of it, then tossed himself on it, finally getting to stretch out. He was asleep again before the maid closed the door behind her.

"Really. I have to room with _you_."

"You mean, _we_ have to room with him," a cold female voice just as testy said. "If it's that way, I'll sleep with Mitsuhide instead of alone, thank you very much. ...Or maybe with Ilena and Noriko."

That got Izana's eye opened. "That's his wife?"

"...Yes." Zen's petulant voice was reluctant, and carried other tones to it.

"She's as gentle as her husband and intelligent as Shirayuki," Mitsuhide said blandly. He didn't like Izana's teasing either, but always was carefully neutral. He owed a debit to Izana, after all.

Izana sighed and sat up and crossed his legs."Really, you lot," he started, then stopped when he saw the look on Zen's face. He held still, rearranging his insides before they got loose on the outside. When he was sure he was strong enough inside, he crooked his finger at his little brother, then pointed to the bed in front of him.

Zen started, then looked supremely stiff with fright and insecurity. That was his usual reaction when Izana was being familiar. Zen wasn't ever quite sure what to do with himself when Izana was _actually_ being his older brother. He was always obedient, though, even when he was angry or frustrated, and he moved to drop his bag, still hanging from his hand on the opposite bed from Izana's and slowly made his way to sitting in front of his brother. Izana looked at Mitsuhide and Kiki and they bowed out to stand on the door in the hall.

When they were alone and Zen was settled as much as he was going to get, Izana looked at him soberly and openly. "Thank you, Zen. I'm glad you're still someone I can count on."

Zen's eyes widened, then a flash of compassion went through them. "Lost one, huh?"

Izana nodded. "One of the top ones."

Zen was sadly sober. "Not good news, then."

"Lost a corner of my board and need to get it put back together before we can move forward."

Zen did wince that time. "Salvageable?"

Izana nodded. "Should mostly be, particularly since you have a peculiar guest that has already ferreted out one of the reasons for it."

Zen raised an eyebrow at that, but kept his tongue, for now. "Ilena will be ecstatic," he finally said dryly.

Izana gave a wry look. "I'm hoping for it. I need yours, too."

Zen nodded, immediately offering it.

"What do you have in place, the usual?"

Zen nodded again. "She's got the whole border covered three layers deep. Two inside, one at the border. The lands from there to East Wilant Road is solid. We had a bead on the set hunting you from the time they moved until they arrived at you. Let them through so they thought they were just another group come along to help last minute, of course." Izana gave an approving nod. "Where and when are you supposed to meet your contact?"

Izana raised his eyebrow slightly. He hadn't told them he had one. Zen lifted the corner of his mouth slightly. Cheeky. "Village inn. Tomorrow night."

"Description?"

Izana shook his head. "Signal."

Zen went into thinking mode, adding the information to his board. Izana wanted that information on that board. He was relying on it now that his was scrambled. His little brother was the better strategest, by just enough that he was going to lean heavily on it for this next little while. When Zen came back, Izana asked, "When do we get the full story?"

Zen's face scrunched a bit as if his stomach hurt. He put his hand to his head and rubbed the heel of it into his shorter white hair - Ilena kept his longer than shoulder length, with long bangs to hide his eyes when he wanted and tied it back when it suited him. "They'll get here last, in another hour, probably." Zen had wanted to conference first, too. Izana waited for it. "Have you seen him in person yet?"

Izana shook his head. "Only from the back. Looks just like Petroi."

Zen nodded. "Moves like Obi, feels like Liam, looks like Petroi. They say they showed up on the doorstep of the Scholars Tavern while they were there for dinner. The Children watching the place all say the same. A swirl of wind, then two people standing there holding each other, where there had been no people before. Wearing odd clothing, looking like travelers. The Children immediately alerted Ilena, of course. When the night started moving again, they immediately retreated into the tavern. Never spoke a word outside, but communicated all the same."

Izana's eyes were rather expressive by this point. "Ilena says it's like watching new pages practicing communicating with her language. It's obvious they're communicating without words that others can hear. Liam's had the distinct...pleasure...of being immediately trained by him in everything since they are desperate to understand this place before they get into too much trouble. He says it's communication mind to mind, along a similar path to how all the Family _feels_ each other, particularly the partners."

Izana considered that. He'd watched the partners when he'd been at Wilant Castle before, and they did have an uncanny knack for just _knowing_ each other and what they needed. Kind of like himself and Lord Barrett, actually. Most servants instinctively knew exactly what their master needed after enough time with them, but this sounded deeper. "Actual words?" Zen nodded soberly. Izana shook his head slightly. It really was outside the realm of comprehension. Zen shifted in agreement.

Izana put his hands to his ponytail, as if gathering up his hair again, needing motion. "Let's go spar. I sat too long. If you don't want to, I'll go against Mitsuhide."

Zen got off the bed. Izana followed him slowly, thinking. When he was standing, Zen's hesitant pose caught his attention. Izana looked at him, then understood. He nodded and Zen was holding him. He put his arms around his little brother. "I'm sorry, Zen," Izana said quietly. Zen shook his head slightly, but didn't let go. Izana tightened his hold just a little, then waited for Zen to be ready. He wasn't in a hurry. When he could feel that Zen was ready to pull away, he leaned over just a little - Zen had gotten tall - and lightly put his lips to the head of his brother, on top of his hair.

Zen froze. Izana's lips curled just ever so slightly, ever so briefly and he pulled away to walk past to go to the door. He put his hand on the handle and looked back. Zen was turned, his hand on his head, staring at him. "That's from Haki," Izana said, knowing his eyes were twinkling in a tease. Zen hadn't been sure it had happened until he admitted it. He turned away and opened the door. "Mitsuhide let me beat up on you a bit."

"I'd really rather not," Mitsuhide's response was automatic by now.

"Kiki, go get your stunned Master. I'll beat up on him after I'm done with Mitsuhide." Izana didn't bother to look at either of them. "Then if there's time I'll watch you and Mitsuhide dance." He could feel them both stop and stare at him. He smiled inside, his young self both insanely happy and wanting to cry. He missed them all so badly. He thought about Paoul instead. He was almost old enough to take out sparing. Izana was looking forward to it.


	7. Family

CHAPTER 7 Family

"How come we made it here before you did?" Izana asked as he unbuckled his jacket, mostly to make small talk.

"We stopped by the garrison." Izana didn't like that answer. "I told them it was a surprise inspection, and actually inspected it to get the layout and make sure things were ready for what's coming. We also tested the commander one more time. I've sent his assistant out to the next garrison west with a three day errand."

Izana looked up in surprise, then moved to fetch the sword Mitsuhide was holding out for him obediently, for all he always complained about having to be Izana's sparring partner whenever Izana saw them now. Izana wasn't in a position to complain, or congratulate. Not until his own error was atoned for. He scowled. When he looked up Mitsuhide's expression slipped from surprised compassion to the calm neutral he carried whenever in the presence of his king. Izana specifically teased him because he knew Mitsuhide hated showing what he was thinking, but couldn't help it and worked his hardest against Izana himself. It was only to help him grow stronger. The day he could keep from reacting to Izana's tease, Izana would stop. Then he'd be sad, but proud...maybe.

Izana raised his sword. Mitsuhide faced him seriously and gripped his sword tightly and gave the barest of nods. Izana was grateful. Mitsuhide was willing to let him get his frustrations out by actually beating on him. At first he did, but it wasn't what he really wanted, so it smoothed out to their usual focused spar. He was intrigued when Mitsuhide threw in a few new moves. He'd been learning something recently from someone very good and could only try them out on someone else who was very good. Izana used his free hand to ask for them again and they spent some time playing with them until they both felt they had the attack and defense figured out well enough.

Izana called a halt at that point. "Zen." It was an order. Izana always tested him when it had been a while since they'd seen each other.

Zen traded places with Mitushide while Kiki handed Izana a thermos of cold water. He sipped it, knowing better than to make his stomach cramp in the middle of exercise, yet also knowing better than to become dehydrated. He handed the water back and faced his brother. This match was likely to be a little different than the ones in the past.

They began as usual, the basic warm up for Zen, then it shifted subtly. Izana allowed it to flow, allowed Zen's frustration, worry, what anger he'd held, his concern for his - their - country, to be released. When they reached the last, Izana's own strength began to fail and it showed. Zen made a particularly angry blow at that. Izana blocked it firmly, and held his brother in place, his own eyes stern. "Help me, Zen. Then it will be put to rights." It was an order, a plea, a promise.

Zen pulled away, not looking him in the eye, slashing downward and to the side with his sword. He took a moment to formulate his answer, taking a calming breath, his expression going from angry frustration and worry, to a look of calmer but firm strength. The blue eyes, so like his own but always more open, raised to look into Izana's sharper ones. The look said he'd be watching, judging, making sure Izana held to his promise. When the message got across, Zen bowed a half-bow that was only as long as his words. "Of course, Your Majesty." Relief flooded over Izana that he didn't allow to show.

"Thank you for the match," he said. "You've grown stronger." He turned and walked to Mitsuhide and Kiki, trading the practice sword for the bottle of water. This time he drank his fill. Zen was also handed a thermos of water and Mitushide and Kiki took up the practice swords to take their turn.

As Izana wiped his face and the back of his neck with a towel, he felt a new presence nearby. He inspected the woman as she inspected him, though he didn't let on he knew she'd arrived. Short, nearly Shirayuki's size, straight brown hair that fell to just about her shoulder blades. She held her hands like they were missing something, like she wasn't sure quite what to do with them, though most often they settled with her right holding the front of her skirt, the left holding just above the right wrist. The off-side of a swordsman. She was used to holding on to her man while he fought and protected her.

Izana looked away, disturbed a bit by that thought. Was she so weak? Or had they come from an unstable world? He remembered he'd been told she was intelligent, like Shirayuki, and honestly, that's what she felt like, other than that. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Zen, standing lazily next to him watching Mitushide and Kiki spar. Quietly, so the woman wouldn't hear, he asked, "Has your wife decided to dye her hair, finally?" Zen's head whipped to look at his brother in surprise. Izana looked over to the woman who was watching the sparing match now as well, as if her inspection of Izana was completed.

Zen settled. "They are very similar, yes," he answered not quite as quietly. "Including when sparing with words."

Izana's mouth quirked up a bit. "You've tasted it already, have you?"

Zen's mouth answered in kind. "She was quite willing to tell me they'd tested Ilena, and by extention the rest of us, when I suggested I wasn't ready to trust them quite so quickly."

Izana looked a little more directly at Zen in mock surprise. "You, Zen? You not trust someone? What has the world come to?"

Zen's irritation at the teasing was gratifying. It meant he was properly being cautious for once. Izana let his look go thoughtful as he put his full attention on the woman. "Well, I suppose one should be cautious when help falls unexpectedly from the sky." The woman turned and looked directly in his eyes. Apparently she took that as an invitation and approached them.

Izana watched her approach. She was comfortable in the presence of royalty, but she was uncomfortable in the presence of strangers she wasn't sure she should trust. "This really is all so familiar," he murmured to Zen. "Are you sure we haven't gone back and started all over again?"

Zen had to fight his laugh down. "I assure you, we haven't gone back," the woman was standing with them but Zen continued, looking only at Izana, "however, it does feel like we're starting all over again." His eyes carried a message. Izana looked at him. Zen turned to the woman. "Izana, this is Noriko Taichiki," he said the name slow enough for Izana to get the odd syllables, "Noriko, this is my older brother, King Izana Wisteria."

The woman gave Izana a clumsy curtsey, as if not used to such things but desirous of being polite. Izana accepted it as such. "It's a pleasure to meet you, King Izana."

"Likewise," Izana answered as politely, then paused before adding, "You are not one of my subjects. You do not need to bow your head to me, particularly if it is so uncomfortable."

Noriko was slightly taken aback, but the following look of pure relief made Izana want to smack her and laugh at the same time. "First Zen, now Ilena. Whatever will I do with people who insist on adopting such to follow them." Noriko looked confused, but Zen was immensely pleased that Izana had been made to voice his irritation, and the faint smirk on his face made Izana put himself back together. Loosing one point was enough.

"I'm sorry?" Noriko apologized for a thing she didn't understand.

"It's nothing. ...You are merely the spitting image of Zen's wife, when she first came to the castle to live with us, save the hair, of course." Now that she was close enough to see, Izana added, "And the eyes." Her eyes were a medium brown, a few shades darker than her hair. Noriko got an interesting expression at the mention of Shirayuki's eyes.

Zen got another twich to his lips at that and he said directly to Izana. "Apparently she gets lost in blue eyes, and unknown to them until breakfast after their arrival, her husband gets lost in green ones."

Izana raised an eyebrow. "That was jealousy?" he asked his brother directly, finally getting an answer to why she was having troubles looking him in the eyes - getting lost in them, then coming to herself with a small jolt and looking away in embarrassment until she forgot herself again. That was one minor difference between her and Shirayuki who looked directly into Izana's eyes without apology or fear, though neither were in this woman's eyes either.

Zen's head nodded slightly. Izana understood now. This one wouldn't understand what they said unless he spoke directly to her. He shifted, relaxing his pose slightly.

"Have you rested from your ride?" Izana asked her politely.

"Yes, thank you," she answered, politely but freely. "...I'm surprised to see all of you exercising even more after the hard ride you've all had."

Izana found it interesting she was including him in that comment. "I arrived before you and was sleeping until then."

"That's good," Izana raised an eyebrow. "Ah, sorry," she said. "I'm a doctor where I come from. I'm afraid the bed-side manner comes out automatically."

Izana's eyebrow raised further. "Do the similarities ever stop?" he asked the air faintly. He hadn't asked her, per se, but she looked at him confused again, not sure how to answer it. He looked away, disinterested in her giving him an answer. Mitushide and Kiki were finally at free-form sparing and were working on the new moves as well. He watched languidly to see how Kiki responded to them. Her left-handed swordsmanship meant Mitsuhide was also re-learning them, in effect. "Where did the new moves come from?" he asked Zen.

Zen looked towards the sparing partners, watching which moves were being referenced. "Izark, Noriko's husband. Petroi says they're a combination form of Selician and Tarc. They sparred until I made them stop, perfectly content to continue in swordsmanship bliss."

Izana's internal senses flickered. "He's that good."

"Better. He was holding back to match Petroi." Zen's voice was grim. Izana understood why, and why those two were intent on learning the moves as quickly as possible. He was grateful Mitusuhide had performed his proper responsibility to teach him as well.

They watched quietly, with occasional commentary, until the match was decided by Kiki, who was making Mitsuhide rest. Izana handed Mitsuhide his towel. Mitsuhide accepted it and looked into Izana's eyes. Izana let him read his sober gratitude. Having seen that Izana understood, Mitsuhide moved on to take the water his wife handed him.

"How much longer have we until they come?" Izana asked, expecting an answer from Mitsuhide or Kiki who also had been adopted into Ilena's Family and knew the coded language.

"Ilena says about a half-hour or less." Izana looked quickly around at Noriko, and the sudden, early, unexpected answer.

When he recovered, having remembered what Ilena had said about how these two strangers communicate, and deciding that generally announced comments or questions must count as things she could understand, he continued his thought. "I'll take a bath before they arrive then. I'd like to wash the dust and the road off." He didn't take his eyes off the diminuitive woman in front of him.

"Ah, before you go, then," she asked a little uncertain and timid, yet at the same time unconcerned what his opinion on any matter might be, "if I may ask you a question?" She paused, looking him in the eye openly. This feeling was so nostalgic he relaxed slightly and allowed it. "At what point did your tree fall, your board become scattered?" Izana blinked. They'd been talking to Ilena, obviously, but why that question?

"In the middle of the morning of the day that I left the castle. I'm afraid I've slept since then at such odd times I can't remember how long ago that was precisely." He answered honestly, without putting too much weight into it.

She looked at Zen with a question in her eyes. "That would have been the morning of the night you arrived," he supplied from his place leaning against the near pillar.

Noriko nodded and looked back up at Izana. "All of your defenders are recognized by your enemy. Please allow Izark, who no one recognizes, to protect you." Noriko's words were generous, but her eyes held the light of fear. The fear of losing her husband. Her hand was clenched in her skirt, the other one holding the arm again, this time not because she was unconsciously seeking her source of comfort, but because she was trying to protect it. Such details never escaped Izana's eyes.

"Are you sure you want to give him to me?" Izana asked, testing that look.

"Give?" She hesitated slightly, then smiled a faint, proprietary smile. "He is not mine to give." Izana looked at her, watching. "Nor is he yours to take." The glint in her eyes was one of fierce ownership, but it faded to humor. "Consider it a loan, from the world of light." The phrase was confusing. "He's here to help you carry the weight of your garden until you and your trees can shore it up again and carry it yourselves sufficiently. We arrived because you had the need for it. We'll leave again when you no longer do."

Izana's breath caught and his curiosity could not be contained. "Why?" it was sardonic, lazy, disbelieving.

"It's your reward for always doing your best." Noriko looked into Izana's eyes and he saw depth. Deep eyes that had seen life longer than any other person he had met, who had no doubt of the statement she had just made. Honest, earnest eyes. He had no answer for them, and no way to escape them. To use one of his typical parting shots would cheapen the speaker, and the receiver, and the words his inner core needed to hear and not negate. In some little desperation, he used the only other escape he had. He bowed slightly to her and walked away, saying nothing.

He returned to himself when he was cleaned from his bathing and was putting on fresh clothing. His guardian, her husband, had arrived. Izana hadn't needed to be told. He felt it. That particular issue needed to be dealt with. All his mind had been able to come back around to was the comment his wife had made when she had finally met Ilena and Shirayuki together on common ground and realized she had a long way to go: "Strong women stand beside strong men." He had learned one thing from this current series of musings, though. The corollary was: "Protective men stand beside strong women." At least that was his theory based on Zen and Obi. He'd see if that held true one more time. Given Ilena's warning, and Noriko's posture, it probably did.

Making sure his sword was secure one last time, and his boots laces properly tightly tied and tucked up, the two details of personal security he always double checked before walking out his door, he opened the door to the bedroom and strode out, chosing to take the more strong long paces than the languid ones he used when exploring the castle to test his lords. Lord Barret immediately was at his side, one half-stride behind. Two guards kept pace behind them - not the two that remained on the bedroom door.

"Your Majesty, the lord's office is too intimate. I've requested that the dining hall be set up for the conference." Izana nodded once, very briefly, to let him know he understood and approved. He knew exactly where to go. All manor homes had a similar layout, and he'd placed every room on the initial walk into it. As far as manor homes, it was cozy, but passable and kept up well, which spoke well to Ilena's agents in the house.

"Will we be eating at any time while we are here?" Izana asked wondering if such niceties would be included or if he'd be expected to eat bread, apples, and cheese again.

"Princess Ilena has made a schedule and would like you to approve it." Izana inclined his ear and Lord Barret rattled off the list. Izana led them to the lord's office where he would wait until things were prepared. He was impatient, but it would be much easier to follow proper polite behavior. It made tempers calmer and minds clearer. He absently approved the order, then leaned on the frame of a window to the office, looking out at the grounds from above, the office being on the second floor as was typical. It was so the lords could look out and ensure their staff were being effective, and so that they could keep an eye on their stewardship.

His personal office was on the third floor of the kingdom offices for the same reason.

He didn't need to look out at the castle grounds or the capital city of Wistal Port. He saw the entire kingdom in his head. He'd traveled it all by horse, carriage, ship, even foot. He saw it in all its seasonal colors - brilliant fall, winter white, spring florals, summer greens. He saw the peasant, the child, the mother, the wheelwright. The flocks in their fields, the rivers and streams, the bare rocky Northern mountains, which from here were a bare half-day's ride before they came into view on the north horizon. To the east were the more rolling mountains, covered in forested dark greens, streams running through them. The mountains angled like the stripes on a fish's gill and were almost more hills here and to the north of this place. The further south they went the higher they grew until at the coast, behind the castle a few miles they towered into the sky. They only appeared higher than the northern mountains because the city sat at sea level. Wilant was higher in altitude, thus colder and harsher generally. The mountains there were nearly twice as high.

From this window, he could place where the eastern mountains were and from the amount of time it took to get here, he could place where this manor house was, and therefore who's. South and a little east of the garrison, east of the main road, East Wilant Road, the road that ran near the east border of Clarines and Wilant - a Wistal Castle court vicount's manor. Izana already knew he was an ally of Ilena's. Close by, East Wilant Road was joined by Wilant Castle Road, which split off for a more direct route northwest from this point to Wilant Castle that was further west into Wilant and up on the north border. A third road joined in there as well that ran the south border between Wilant and Clarines proper, South Wilant Road. (Practical names of roads was perhaps a tad boring, but then most Clarinees were practical.) Because it was a major crossroads it had the garrison, and it had a thriving town.

In that town was an inn with a tavern that Izana was to arrive in tomorrow evening. He was to meet a specific person to negotiate peace between Clarines and the country to the east, over those rolling mountains. This current location was central to where those mountains were most passable, the center of what would become a battlefield if war really did come from Brulac. It was insane to think that a king of a country would be willing to come to a tavern for a secret peace negotiation. Why they even thought such a plot would receive serious consideration was beyond Izana. He hadn't come because he intended to negotiate. He hadn't even come because he was desperate for peace. He knew the strength of his soldiers and had no doubt they would be able to win victory if war did come.

He'd only come because his board needed righting and someone needed to be taught a lesson, and Zen, Ilena, and Obi were the only people for the first and perfectly acceptable for the second. Somehow, it was turning into _he_ was going to be doing the second - or at least having a greater hand in it than he had expected. He'd done such things before. He was no stranger to covert operations. He'd even enjoyed a few. Revenge really could be sweet when it meant making the kingdom one more step closer to strength and peace. Most often he couldn't afford revenge so when he could it was cathartic. The problem was, this time...he didn't want revenge. He wanted his support back.

Izana turned away from the window and moved to sit leaning on the front of the lord's desk, crossing one foot in front of the other. He crossed his arms and looked at the space in front of his toes, frowning ever so slightly. There was a tap on the door. He looked up, erasing the frown. "Come." The door opened. Ilena walked in, her face set carefully neutral. The door closed behind her as she walked in the room. She gave him an appropriate bow. He nodded.

She looked into his eyes a moment. He didn't hide from her. "What do you need, Izana?" she asked quietly.

"I lost an associate gardener." He opened his arms.

She was immediately in his arms, holding him. He put his head down on her shoulder and grieved, holding her, his one source of comfort for many years, since he had first seen her when she was five and he was seven. Only Ilena had ever seen him as both man (boy at the time) and king (prince), until he had come across Haki at the university where they had studied together as teens. But only with Ilena had he ever been able to relax and let the world go - only Ilena could support his garden when he couldn't any more. They were both working on getting Haki to the point she could, but she wasn't there yet. Close, but she wasn't Ilena.

He knew Ilena would stand strong for him, let him be weak, not judge, not let anyone else know, let him walk back out stronger for having done it, for having grieved for a man and for his own hubris and lack of understanding. "I thought he was negotiating only merchant agreements. When we could work together, he enjoyed the reparte of negotiations and we shared an enjoyment of the excitement of a negotiation gone well. We even reached the point where we would share quiet celebratory drinks after particularly difficult negotiations. ...He was my best." He hid his face farther, the admission a prick in his heart. "Behind my back, in the silence I couldn't reach, he has negotiated war. It isn't like him, not the man I thought I knew."

"If it wasn't his fault, but that of something unknown, would you take him back?"

He shook his head. "Yes, but as a king, I can't. He'd have to pay the penalty, even if it was only demotion. I'm going to have to replace him."

"No. But that's enough. Go and get him. Call him back to you. Call until he dies, and then keep calling, if you have to. If he comes, put him where you can, where he will still be able to support you, even if in a lesser position or farther away place. Knowing that he is still willing to serve, knowing he is still a part of the whole, will keep you whole, continue to give you hope. And when you can visit that part of the garden, you can still stop by for a drink if there has been enough healing he will see you also, and you can thank him again for still being a part of your life and the strength of Clarines."

"And if he has to die?" He knew his voice was hard and cold, but it was by necessity.

Ilena moved, but he held her. He needed her support here, too. He didn't want to do it, to kill him even if it was necessary. "The way to do that is the way I would handle Salen."

Izana's eyebrow raised. "And that is?"

"With compassion. If he truly will not return, will only accept being poison to the garden, will only accept being poisoned himself, then he should be released from his own pain and darkness compassionately. If you have to do it yourself, which is best, really, let him know as the light leaves his eyes that you love him, even still. That you chose to do it with your own hand because you wanted him to be free of the pain and the poison he couldn't get rid of himself and wouldn't come to you to get help to remove, and that choice has made you grieve."

She hesitated, then added, "To remove with anger a friend, companion, or ally who has rejected you will cause you more pain. To remove with anger an enemy who has done you wrong will just as surely. Even an enemy deserves compassion in death, or our own hearts wither and darken. ...When I took the head of the Lord of Tarc, I thought I would do it in hatred and anger, and I was very much so both of them, but all I could think of as the blow was finished was how sad I was that he had not listened to me from the beginning. How much joy he had missed and all the light of the days of all those years he had lost to his own darkness. How many children could he have enjoyed that were bitter against him, how many wives who would have adored him and brought him bliss, how many horses he had that he couldn't even watch on the grass with calm pride because he'd been so blinded by his madness and darkness?"

Ilena tightened her arms around Izana. "You are not like that. You forget sometimes to look up and breathe, but when you do, you love your land, take pride in the people, smile at the delight in the eyes of the children you watch over. To lose even one, you grieve. Grieve for him, call him back to you, release him with tenderness and compassion to the place he needs to be - living or dead. It is right."

Izana's heart constricted. "Ilena, I want to, but...I can't be compassionate as a king -"

"No, Izana. You _are_ compassionate. You carefully consider what a person can and cannot do and only ask what they can. You consider the proper consequence of an act and don't punish more or less than that. That is compassion. To do less is to teach them weakness. To do more is to teach them hatred. You already understand this. You are compassionate."

Izana held still, his mind still refusing to understand her words. He had always maintained that if he was compassionate he was weak, particularly when it came to ruling and staying alive. He finally sighed. "I'll have to disagree with you on that, Ilena."

"Fine. Just add it to the file. Maybe you'll come to understand some day. I do hope you'll let me continue to believe it, since I'll scold you if you stray."

His mouth quirked in a smile. "If you mean stray from the definition you gave me, I don't think you need worry."

"Good."

Izana sighed. He reached up and took her hands in his and lifted his head, continuing to hold on to her hands. She stepped back slightly to look him in the face, searching it. He didn't look up right away, thinking. "Ilena...may I speak as a man for a bit?"

She lightly squeezed one of his hands. "Yes, Izana," she said kindly.

"I have missed you." He looked up through his eyelashes. "All of you." She squeezed his hands again with a soft smile. "Haki was absolutely beautiful when I left." Ilena's eyes lit with interest. "I only told her I was leaving to set my board straight and I had set proper protections for her and Paoul." Izana raised his head so he could watch the look in Ilena's eyes. "She put her arms around me - of her own accord and for the first time spontaneously, held me, then merely said to tell you she was counting on you and to give Zen her love." Ilena's eyes looked like Izana felt his might be as well, except her's teared up. "Ilena, I love Haki."

Ilena was holding him again and he gently held her back. He could tell she had tears dripping down her cheeks. "Izana, I am so happy for you," she said through them, holding him tightly. "You have come a long way." Ilena pulled back and gave him a look. "Now make sure you tell _her_ when you get back to reward her for that, and for all the worrying she's doing now that you aren't there for her to watch over."

Izana raised an eyebrow. "She watches over me?"

Ilena impatiently answered, "Yes, Izana. She watches over you, and frets, and hopes, and is ecstatic when you come to her, and when you play with Paoul. That is what wives do." She relented and went soft again. "And, when their husband's need it, they support, scold, and hold tightly. She is also learning to love you, Izana. Let her tell you, too." Ilena pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks and her nose, well practiced with handling her own frequent tears.

Izana looked out the window while she did it, then stood. He put his hand on her shoulder, leaned down, and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Sister. I think I'll be okay from here." Then he whispered in her ear, "Shall I open the door suddenly so Obi can fall in the room embarrassed to be found out?"

Ilena laughed. "I think that would start the childish teasing and pranks that would go on for days. I'm not sure Lord Barret can handle all of us in that state."

Izana smiled slightly and released her to go to the window again. "He did say he wasn't too interested in babysitting us, but it might do him a bit of good. I've been a bit gloomy for him of late." He kept his back to her, waiting for it, leaning against the wall next to the window, looking out, but listening. She didn't disappoint him. He felt the sharp tug on his ponytail and whipped his hand out to grab her, but she had danced away even though he'd been ready and was already to the door by the time he was turned around. He was across the room in three long strides, Ilena tangled in Obi at the open doorway.

The look on his face made Obi panic. He suddenly picked his wife up and set her on the far side of him and the doorway and blocked it holding up both hands. "Oh, sorry, she got away," he said with large 'innocent' eyes as Ilena dashed down the hallway.

Izana scowled at Obi. "At least get out of the way."

"Why?" Obi asked innocently again. "You can't catch her."

Izana looked at Obi crossly. "I could at least try."

Obi immediately moved out of the doorway. "Be my guest. I'm sure I'll enjoy watching the King make a fool of himself."

Izana's hand was reaching for Obi before he knew it was. Obi's eyes went wide and he also danced out of the way. Izana kept going until Obi dodged again. Once more and Obi finally got it, his eyes lighting up. "Oh! It's King Bother wants to play!" Obi's face broke out into a beautifully bright smile. They played 'try to catch the sneak thief' until they were down the hall and Obi had lept over the banister to the lower level. Izana looked down over at him and he looked back up, a smile still on his face. "It's good to see you, too, King Brother, especially in love - with your _own_ wife." Obi winked at Izana and sauntered off.

Izana leaned on his arms on the banister, watching his retreating back. "Obi," he said rather quietly and the head covered in short black hair turned slightly and the step paused. "Take care of her for me."

The head turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "Of course..., but isn't it rather late to be saying that?" Izana smiled, then pushed off the railing and turned to walk back to the office. "Hey," he paused and looked questioningly down at Obi, "take care of yourself, too. ...I don't want your job."

Izana stared down at him, then put his fingers to his forehead. "You know...that's the first time I've ever even had that thought, Obi." He looked down at the other man. "Let's both pray to every god it never happens, shall we?"

Obi looked puzzled. "Seriously? You've never thought about the fact that she's your successor?"

"No, Obi, I haven't," Izana said a tad impatiently. "I do have a wife, you know."

Obi relaxed and crossed his arms. "Is she ready yet?" He was actually serious.

Izana stared at him in disbelief and looked at him impatiently. He opened his mouth, paused a bit surprised, closed his mouth and seriously considered it. He looked back at Obi. "Ilena can be Regent until either one of them is ready." It was a hard answer to give.

Obi nodded. "Let us know when that's not a requirement either. I'd rather she just got to keep playing in Tarc."

Izana softened at that. "Me too, Obi. Me, too."

They parted and Izana returned to the office. Dinner would begin soon, but as king he wasn't allowed to show up early. He put his hand on the door handle and looked back down the hall. For just a moment his heart ached to be free with the rest of them. He put his head on the door and closed his eyes and for the first time realized how absurd that sounded. He'd chained them as tightly to the land, by their own birth and wishes, as he was. He snorted a laugh at himself. He was an idiot, most certainly an idiot. He released the door handle and motioned for Lord Barret to follow him.

Izana held back just enough for Lord Barret to come level to him. "Shall we go enjoy the last of the sun in the garden, Mitchel?"

They walked companionably to the stairs. "I really wish you'd take the time to visit them more often," Lord Mitchel Barret said in his usual way of just speaking a complaint.

"Paoul's been asking to meet his cousins properly," Izana mused.

Mitchel didn't let the opportunity pass. "I'll see it gets added to the schedule, then...for _all_ of you."

Izana left it at 'no comment'. That is, until they were outside. Then he said, "It's really _you_ who wants to get your fill of Mother, though."

Mitchel snorted. "You couldn't leave me behind if you chained me."

"No, I rather thought not," Izana said archly. He could tell Mitchel wanted to shove him into the pond they were passing and he danced ahead lightly. "I've already had my bath, thank you."

When Mitchel laughed a quiet laugh, Izana relaxed and smiled inside. Just this much made today worth it. He sighed. Some days were like this. Brief moments of light in the midst of tension-filled weeks and months. It was what he liked about family, why he was so happy to have a son and wife, though that was a secret, too. And why he was glad he had a sister he could share those secrets with, as well as a friend. He thought about what Ilena had said to him and turned to look at his aide and guard. "Thank you, Mitchel. For everything."

Mitchel looked at him, just a hint of a raised eyebrow, then looked away, clasping his hands behind him. "Be careful. She's made you just a bit _too_ soft, I think." He looked back before Izana could regret it. "But, you need it today. ...You're welcome. It has been, and is, my pleasure." He looked away and a teasing grin was on his face now. "I like to watch you, too."

Izana sighed. He really was going get Obi at the next opportunity. He needed a good knuckle rub to the top of the head for rubbing off on everyone around him. He raised an eyebrow and turned to look back at the house. On the roof was a slender man at least Izana's height, which was tall for Clarines, long black hair, standing with a hand resting on the fireplace flue. Considering that even Obi didn't go up on the top of manor homes, that was rather a feat. Mitchel turned and followed the direction of his gaze until he, too, was staring at the man, standing now with one toe and one foot on the roof. He moved lightly down the angled surface, then lept lightly off and disappeared.

"That's him?" Mitchel asked, a bit in awe, a bit grimly.

Izana nodded. He closed his eyes. The feeling of the man, Izark, wasn't coming his way. He must have seen enough, or had been called by his wife. He turned away from the house again and resumed his walk. There would be time. For now, he wanted to enjoy this moment of peace.

 _Food's on!_ The general call went out.

Izana turned and moved towards the manor house, already past hungry. Mitchel raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought you didn't bother learning it?"

"Tone is as telling, and so is my stomach." He walked in his long strides.

"I wonder if Obi cooked," Mitchel wondered, keeping up as if he hadn't changed pace at all.

"You'd eat it?" Izana was sure he wouldn't. "I was talking to him before we left, so not likely."

"I hear Petroi will cook as well." Mitchel commented.

"Well...if they put three helpings of one on their plates, I'll make sure it _isn't_ on mine," Izana answered. Those with Selician blood loved very spicy foods. He wondered vaguely if they did make some, if they'd remember to warn their guests.

When they arrived at the dining hall, it was set up in a square. Ilena took his arm, welcoming him and sat him in the center of the 'head' table. She set Mitchel to his right and all of his other guards were seated at the rest of the seats at his table, though they spilled around the edges to either table to the sides slightly. Izana sat a bit nonplussed, trying to understand the arrangment. His guards seemed just a little uncomfortable as well. At the opposite table from him was Zen, directly opposite, with Mitushide to his right and Kiki to his left. He also had several guards spilling along the table and wrapping around a bit. Ilena and Obi actually sat at the table to Izana's left, in the center and had their pairs to either side of them. At the center of the table on the opposite side, to Izana's right, were Noriko and Izark, Liam on the other side of him from Noriko, and to either side of them were the house servants.

"Ilena," Izana said with a sigh, "please explain."

"It was quite complicated, really, so I've done the best I can do to what we are used to. She can't look at the two of you in the eye, since you're both blue," Ilena pointedly nodded at Noriko. "Izark has things to say to everyone. You're King but you're reporting to Master Zen as soon as we're done eating. In _our_ house everyone eats together because that's family, not to mention easier on clean up, etc." She eyed the guards up and down his table. "You all eat with him when you're on the road anyway, so pretend it's a tavern if that helps you." She glared just a bit into Izana's eyes. "It's just food. Put it in your stomach and get over it."

Izana put his hand over his mouth, not quite able to control the smile. "Only if I get to eat real _Clarinees_ food. You did you warn your guests that they might not be able to eat _your_ food, I trust."

Petroi frowned. "We'll only serve it on our side, I promise," Ilena said calmly. "Why waste it on people who won't enjoy it?" Petroi's face cleared at the faint praise.

Izana looked at Mitchel, giving him the point for guessing the cook. "What's your special dish, Petroi?" Izana asked politely as the food began to be passed down the table, each person expected to dish their own plate. Izana knew this was a tradition of Tarc, and assumed Ilena had added it to her table as well.

"Selician curry," Petroi said calmly.

"I understand that's your and Ilena's favorite. Is it the hottest of them?" Izana passed the dish on, having served himself, feeling somewhat complicated. Both like a young child and like an interloper, and slightly put out at the same time, while also feeling completely comfortable and happy to be included. It was a bit frustrating she kept doing things like this to him.

"They don't feel the heat anymore," Thayne said politely, yet with the overtones expected for such a statement. "It's merely their favorite, though I would think they would get tired of it. I can't count the number of times I've had to sit in the kitchen now."

"Enough you tell me when I've missed an ingredient or not added enough of another," Petroi's answer was in kind.

Izana did smile at that, already enjoying his meal. He'd only had the one small one in the last two days, after all.

Izark looked up from his plate. "May I try it, please?"

The opposite table gave him disbelieving looks, but passed it around. He took a small amount, then tried it. "It's very flavorful," he said, then dished a normal portion more and pass the dish back. Noriko looked up at him questioningly and he shook his head. She nodded and went back to her own food. Everyone smiled secret smiles at that. A few of Zen's guards took tastes, but not more than that. One of Izana's guards asked to try as well and ate a bit, but not much. Really it was very spicy for Clarinees tongues.

It could have been a strained meal, but Ilena was at the table, and she was well practiced at being a hostess. "Noriko, now that we are in private and we know your main secret, will you answer for me, you were actually a dean at a university, weren't you?"

Noriko looked up and smiled with misty rememberance. "Yes, I was. Before that I ran a research department there. I'm afraid research and study are a love of mine. I come from a world that was more advanced than Izark's and I wanted some of the conveniences of home. Setting people to working on making what I wanted for myself was quite lucrative, really, though I suppose that isn't surprising. Seeing your showers here was a wonderful delight. I didn't think of those then. I was just glad to have running water at all, since the smaller towns didn't."

"I would love to have you talk to my artisans, if we were to have time." Ilena said, her own eyes lighting up with coins combined with research.

"I personally have been very glad for the woodburning stoves her blacksmiths created to heat the rooms. They are very economical, both on wood useage and space," Zen commented.

"Do you use them for cooking yet?" Noriko asked.

Ilena and Zen froze at that. "You can do that?" Ilena asked.

Noriko nodded. "Make them square or rectangular with a flat top to put the pans on. One lower or side section for the wood, another above or on the side to bake in. Makes nice even breads - a bread oven inside each home, really. Clothing irons can sit on the top as well, for heating. If the surface is too hot, put a trivet - a small removeable metal stand - under the thing you are cooking in to change the height. The distance will change just how much heat gets to the pan, or iron. You'll want to experiment on it, but that's the basic idea."

Ilena had been sitting frozen, staring and listening closely. At the last, she nodded. "I'll get him right on that. My family's castle burned to the ground in the coup. I've been trying to find ways that are safer for houses, other than fireplaces."

Noriko smiled. "You'll never replace the comfort of an open fire crackling and dancing in front of you, but the stoves are highly convenient and useful. Even we still enjoy fireplaces in our homes, though they aren't in all of them." She went slightly shadowed, but it didn't last long.

"You're so willing to pass on such things?" Izana asked, curious.

Noriko paused, thoughtful. "I do try to limit it to what's next, or close. I left many written notes in Izark's world for future researchers to come back and try later. For a few things of my personal needs I pushed past what I probably should have. What was most interesting was how much of an explosion of research there was in that world's own people, talents, and resources. I think merely showing them that research was not just meant to be left in books or papers, but to help the lives of people made the difference." She shrugged.

Ilena nodded. "I agree. We do both, here. The library at Lyrias is full of research, but the market place is full of researchers trying to sell what they've created."

"How good is transfer of technology? How well do those things get brought out of Lyrias? Sometimes something that won't do well in one university town is desperately needed somewhere else."

It was a very intelligent question and Izana looked at Noriko with a sharp eye. His siblings caught his look. Zen pursed his lips and Obi tried hard not to roll his eyes. "My wife, the Queen, comes from the family that is the national benefactor of the university and oversees both Lyrias and the university. Before we married, she was the President of the university. That very issue is her pet project now that she is in the opposite corner of the country."

Noriko looked at him, her look almost as sharp as his. They spent the next fifteen mintues trading ways to get research-turned-technology into the hands of those who could create it and who needed it. Izana was pleased he would have a few ideas to take back to Haki, and decided that Noriko was decidedly _better_ at research than Shirayuki and probably on par with Ilena. "How long have you been in research?" he asked her.

He noticed the silent communication between her and Izark before she answered. A bit reluctantly, she said, "If you count the time I was a doctor," she calculated, "one hundred twenty years, approximately."

Izana fought to not drop his fork. Several people choked on their food. Izana noticed that Zen, Obi, and Ilena, and their aides, did not react. They already knew. That must be why Noriko felt she should be honest. There was the possibility they would tell him at some point and the lie discovered otherwise.

"Were you a dean for most of that?" Ilena asked to cover the rudeness.

"No, only for about twenty-five years. Half of that time I was a doctor, the later half, while in my world. I did research while practicing, though, since I had already learned to love it." Noriko focused on her plate, looking like she wished the question had not been asked. Izana wouldn't have asked it if he'd been warned to begin with and he gave Zen and Ilena dark looks. They were only slightly apologetic. There was only so much they could have said in the brief conversations they'd had.

"Perhaps that little detail should be explained now instead of later," Izana was cool.

"She was taken to his world and they lived there a lifetime, then were taken to hers and lived another one. They've been world-hopping another half-ish lifetime since then," Ilena summed concisely.

Izana accepted the answer, adding it to the data he was gathering. It explained Noriko's comment that they wouldn't be staying. As much as he wanted to put her on his board, it was likely far better to let them go. Having such creatures long-term was disconcerting. Having Ilena's researchers constantly moving forward was sufficient. He could trust Ilena to dig a few more leaps forward out of her before they left. He consciously relaxed, forcing his table to relax as well.

He looked around the tables. The plates were for the most part empty. He lifted a dismissing hand and the guards stood. Zen's followed suit. The servants at Izark and Noriko's table did as well. Plates were passed to those standing, who stacked them and carried them off to the kitchens. Four of Izana's and two of Zen's guards returned to stand the walls. He knew there would be others on the doors. The house steward poured after-dinner drinks around, then left bottles at the tables and bowed himself out. Izana noted a separate pitcher was left for Noriko. Like Shirayuki, she couldn't hold alcohol. Izana was a little suprised the aides didn't stand, then let it slide. He could view this as a conference of that sort. "Izark, please begin so that we are all on the same page," he said calmly. "I would understand who you are, why you are here, and what you plan on doing."


	8. Healing

CHAPTER 8 Healing

Izark rose from his chair, because in his own world it was proper to stand to address a king. "Your Majesty, this is Izark kia Tarj. Izark, His Majesty, King Izana Wisteria. The man next to him is Lord Barret, his Minister of Intelligence." Ilena served as hostess again.

Izark bowed a half-bow, putting one hand lightly to his chest. "King Izana. It is a pleasure to greet you." The king was looking at him with a sharp, almost challenging look. It spoke of great intelligence, in line with Zen and Ilena. He looked to be roughtly thirty and his blue eyes were piercing. He was not soft anywhere, but it was the tempered steel of competence and supreme effort. If he'd not had to be a king, it felt a bit like he would have been Izark and Noriko's mentor in the world of light, Doctor Clairgeeta. Izark chose to not mistake this person for that one, however. That could prove very dangerous, to fatal.

"As already stated, Noriko and I come from other worlds than this. Noriko is a researcher and my wife. I am a traveling warrior by training and trade; however, I am also a creature connected to the world of light. Because of this I have been given gifts of strength that the world of light uses to its benefit among the many worlds and universes connected to it. Since we left Noriko's world, the world of light has been taking us to places that need help in removing darkness, the same as we did for my world. This world, and Clarines, is merely the most recent we have been brought to."

"We were brought here a little differently than we arrived on other worlds, being brought directly to your sister, Princess Ilena. Our supposition is that it is because her, or your, need was urgent and perhaps unexpected. The world of light does not supply us with tasks or answers in words. We must determine what our task is after we arrive. Ilena has hired me, so at this point, doing as she asks me is what we are doing." Izark was very glad for his years of diplomatic training on his world this evening. He hated talking this much, but it rolled off his tongue much better now than it would have, and he suspected that, like Kiki, it would make a great difference to this king that he was actually capable of it.

Izana looked at him with eyes that wanted to ask as many questions as Ilena wanted to. He waited for the king to pick which one would be first. "Is it really necessary?"

"I am as uncertain as the rest of you. Princess Ilena and Master Obi, even Regent Zen and Princess Shirayuki all seem perfectly capable, having already handled the matter in Tarc and with Earl College completely satisfactorily according to how the world of light uses good people to resolve conflicts between the worlds of light and dark." Izana's eyebrow raised slightly at the candid admission. "However, we are here, so we will do what little we can."

Izana leaned on one elbow, his finger along his jaw. He finally shot a look at Ilena. "You're determined to keep him?" Ilena bowed her head in amiable admission. "Have you already adopted them?" She gave him a slight smile and every one at that table reacted in interesting ways to say that most definitely she'd adopted them, and before everyone else was ready, except Obi who just sat mild as usual. Izana looked at the reactions, reading them before turning back to Izark.

"I presume the conflict you spoke of is the equivalent of the strife between good and evil, right and wrong, that which brings peace and that which brings war?" Izark bowed his head slightly in agreement. "Explain this 'world of light' you talk of, so that we all have the correct understanding with which to communicate on it."

Izark tapped into his link with Noriko and she helped him give the proper definition, from her understanding and as concisely as possible. It took a while for the King to process it, but he seemed to prefer the concise definition best. Izark had noticed that in the way Ilena had answered the question of how they had come to have lived so long already. Like Noriko, he liked to come to an understanding of his own. "It seems, Izark," Izana's energies changed from sharp and challenging to be more fluid, but almost more deadly for it, and his eyes narrowed slightly, "that it is a very grand thing to claim that you are removing evil from the worlds you visit."

Izark carefully considered the comment and his answer. "Evil is necessary for people to learn empathy and compassion. It cannot be removed completely from any world or universe. We are brought to worlds to prevent, or remove, particularly strong entities of darkness from overwhelming good people who desire the peace that living connected to the world of light brings."

Izana looked at Izark in some little consternation. "Entities of darkness? Is it not the hearts of men themselves that determine the level of light or dark they will walk in?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is so, but there are also creatures, entities, even some men, who live connected to the world of darkness, the same as I live connected to the world of light."

"Do they receive power from that place?"

Izark hesitated. "I know they feed on the negative emotions of men - anger, hatred, fear, and that their influence on an individual disappears if that person remembers and holds on to the emotions of light - love, compassion, kindness. From my experience, that's all they derive their power from. I haven't yet come across a being who is so connected to the world of darkness that their power comes from the place that may be the equivalent of the world of light." He gave a bit of small self-recriminating smile. "I'm afraid that I'm still an infant in such matters. My apologies for not being able to give you a better answer at this time."

"If you are still yet an infant, are you strong enough to go against one, if one happens to be here?"

"Any of the lesser ones, yes. If there should be one at the same level as I am, I would presume I'll be strong enough by the time I get to it. The world of light trains me until I _am_ ready. It isn't really interested in having me fail, I've found."

Izana's attitude was rather sardonic, though his voice was just the polite side of sarcastic. "That's very kind of it."

Izark let his smile go to his eyes. "Indeed."

Izana seemed surprised by his answer, or rather, his reaction to Izana's attitude. Izark stood calmly strong and waited. "So, how powerful are you?" the king had gone back to calm, if somewhat disbelieving, questioning.

"I'm still determining that. It's different in each world. We've only been here for two days, and in a hurry for most of that time. In the testing we did have time for, I can say that, comparatively, there isn't any mortal human who can best me in your world."

Izana glanced at Zen and got an affirmation. He looked at Obi for corroboration. Obi and all the 'Sons' were in complete agreement. Izana looked back at Izark. "I'll take their word for it for now, but you understand I'm supremely curious and would like to see for myself." Izark bowed his head, not surprised in the least.

Lord Barret shifted and Izana allowed him to ask his question. "Mister Izark, will you tell me why you're being so open about your strengths?"

Izark's brow furrowed a bit. "Honestly, Lord Barret, under normal circumstances I wouldn't be. We are very careful to hide who and what we are, as well as our purpose. Since the beginning of arriving here, it hasn't been possible. Princess Ilena is very perceptive, and also has all of the gifts of the world of light already. That, combined with the emergent need of the King, made it so that sublety was not possible. In order to be able to help, we need as much information as we can get as to how the connection of this world to the world of light works. Prince Obi, Princess Ilena, and Liam have all been helping us to learn it as quickly as possible, though we still have more to understand, I'm sure. It seems counterproductive to not also include you and the King." _No doubt,_ went through everyone in the room's mind.

"You're still not giving everything away," Izana said drolly.

"No, Your Majesty," Izark answered calmly.

Izana stared at him, waiting. When it was obvious Izark would win the standoff, Izana relented. "I suppose it is only prudent." He shifted to lean forward, resting his elbows on the table in front of him and interlacing his fingers. "So...tell me, just how did you get into my dream and what was it that you fought?"

Izark was slightly dismayed the King already understood it was him. "I discovered that location, if you will, by accident when studying my partnership link with Liam. Becuase the entities of darkness, which we call 'demons', access the memories of their victims to make them remember the terrible things that have happened to them, or others, in their lives to bring up the negative emotions they feed on, it seemed reasonable to me that nightmares would be used similarly in that place."

"Noriko postulated that you might be having your own negative concerns and worries accentuated by a demon and nightmares fed by one, in an attempt to make you act in a way to bring you to your ruin at the hands of that demon, or another one. Regent Zen asked me to confirm the veracity of that postulate. Liam knows you, so he was able to take me in that world to you." Izark's face fell slightly to sorrow. "I'm sure I would rather have not had to defend you there. It would be simpler to say you were only having a bad dream at the moment, but that was definitely a demon. It did not transform merely because of your dream state. It transformed of it's own fears and volition."

"Did you kill it?" Izana asked.

"No. It isn't possible, I think, to do so from that location, however I am certain it was wounded sufficiently to not try again."

"Is that why you're still watching over my sleep?"

Izark's eyebrow raised, just as expressive in his calm face as in Izana's. "You can feel me?"

Izana nodded. "Ever since that, wherever you are."

Izark blinked. "Distance and location?"

Izana nodded again. There was a bit of a pause as Izark and Noriko had an internal discussion. "It's the first example of it we've seen in this world. It's the most disturbed layer here."

"It is definitely that - disturbing," Izana said dryly.

"You didn't chose it?" Izark asked.

"No," Izana said.

There was a bit more discussion between Noriko and Izark, trying to determine what might have set it, Izark only being able to surmise it was because he performed an 'attack' and left an energy signature, this world being based on attack energy. "I'm sorry it's disturbing," Izark said humbly - for him. "I can't erase it, however, not understanding how it was created. When I leave, it will as well, I'm sure."

"I'll try to ignore it until then," Izana said, obviously wishing he wasn't going to have to settle with that answer.

"Did you recognize the man?" Izark asked him.

Izana shook his head slightly. "No, I didn't." When Izark stayed silent, Izana said, "You said he'd shown you his 'host' form?"

Izark nodded. "That's what the person looks like who is carrying the demon. Demons typically take over a physical host, if they are spirit, in order to affect the phyisical realm. Humans who have turned themselves into demons are already physical. In your case it is the former, as the demon appeared last in it's true form."

Izana visibly shuddered. "Please, I do not want to hear that really exists."

"I'm sorry," Izark said, obviously meaning it did. The whole room slumped slightly. There really was a demon to fight...or more. "That one, when we find it, I can kill. It is a lesser demon," he tried to reassure them.

"It's not the one from Tarc?" Ilena asked.

Izark shook his head. "I was able to subdue it easily in the nightmare. I would think that one would have been more difficult to deal with, even in a dream state."

"Then, would it be the one we're looking to see here?" Zen asked.

Izark paused slightly. "I would think so. Certainly, now that I've seen the physical form, I could go and look to see if I find him." That answer made everyone feel better. If Izana didn't need to go, they would be much happier with that solution. Izana looked at Zen and watched him. All eyes followed, including Izark's. It was his first time to watch Zen's face as he worked on his board. His brows were furrowed and his eyes stared without seeing at the table in front of him. Izana dipped into the world of light and was intruiged to see Zen was surrounded by light, even drawing it into himself in little tendrils, occasionally releasing tendrils.

 _'Noriko, is that what it looks like when the seers of my world are seeing?'_ He asked. He'd not thought to go looking while they were there, since it was just a natural phenomenon to that world.

Noriko dipped down to look as well. _'Yes, it's similar to that.'_

Izark immediately entered the world of light space around Zen, feeling how he had to go to get there. He stayed at the far edge, not wanting to influence what Zen was doing. He watched for a bit, then carefully pulled back out and returned to himself, feeling the way out again. _'Liam said when they are thinking at the level of the boards, it's at the same level as Ilena's coded speach that I hear on the wind. At the time, I said it was 'up' and our communication was 'down'. That isn't it. It's in that other space, like the dream state, but sideways from our communication layer, like the dream state is sideways from our vision layer. It really does seem like it's another 'world of light' set beside the one we know. As you say, another 'universe of light', except we can reach both.'_

 _'I've been thinking about that.'_ Noriko replied. _'I think it's not another world or universe, it's another dimention. There is 'up' and 'down' in the physical world, but there is also 'side to side' and 'forward' and 'backwards' - three dimentions. So far, we've only been going 'up' and 'down', and here we are learning another direction in the dimentions of the world of light. If we go back to the sideways state and up and down, we should see all of the states together in progression that we've seen in pieces until now.'_

The light of understanding flared in Izark and he was filled with light. He held it, carefully letting it fill him without thinking too hard. This was an inital 'gift'. He would now have to figure out where it came from and how to access it again purposely. It was a bit frustrating really and when it faded, he sighed. _'What was that, Izark?'_ Noriko asked.

 _'That was my next 'level' and I have no idea where it came from, except from your words. I have to go hunting again.'_ His resigned frustration went through their link.

Noriko sent back calm reassurance tinged with humor. Then she sighed, too. _'That means you're going to have to use it soon. I hope you find it before then.'_ He was in complete agreement, but it looked like things were going to continue moving quickly.

"Izark," it was Zen returned to the room, "I want you to go into town with Liam in the morning. Look for work. If you can find something that will let you move about the city, that's fine, but otherwise refuse employment. Put your eyes on everyone you can in town, particularly visitors. If you see the one you saw in Izana's dream, follow him and see if he has accomplices. If he's working alone, capture him for questioning. If possible, kill the demon but keep him alive."

"Izana, if he can't find him, then he may not have come himself, or is staying in hiding until the redevous time. If that's the case, you will rendevous with Izark and Liam near the town and they will guard you to the inn," his gaze flicked to Izark and Liam. "You two already know how to make it look like he's alone without being alone." They nodded as one. "Keep Izana alive, bring back someone who can answer questions, if at all possible. We'll wait outside the town after bringing Izana there. I'll have Noriko with me so you can get to us. If you get chased out, just come to her, and if they're too close tell her and we'll come to you."

"We'll come over the rooftops," Ilena said, "and keep an eye on things from above. If the inn looks like it's going to be surrounded, we'll warn Liam and give you an escape route and cover the rear."

"How many Children do you have in town?" Zen asked her.

"As many as you need, up to about thirty or so."

"Ilena," Zen looked at her impatiently, "you usually have exact numbers?"

Ilena shrugged, "Most of them are out in the field between the border and here, remember? That will be those off-duty and that can manage to wake up when they're called, unless you want me to have them in place earlier? I was talking about the six of us."

Zen looked distantly again for a moment. "Liam, if Izark finds him, put the town Children on his tail and have them gather the information on how long he's been there and who he's talked to or been seen with and pull as many of those for immediate interrogation as possible. The Family can handle that...the House side." The look from the side of his eyes he threw at Liam was predatory. "Keep them quiet until he's been captured himself." Liam nodded, understanding.

Zen looked at Izana. "If we capture him early, should we go ahead and try to pull anyone else that might be hanging around in the evening, or should we pretend you weren't willing to fall for their ploy?"

Izana looked at him just a little impatiently. "I didn't 'fall for their ploy', Zen. I came because I was calling the two of you. I'm disinterested in meeting with anyone who thinks a King would stoop to such an immature attempt at coersion. I was already intending to send Ilena's lot after them. They're better suited to it."

"Oh, well that's good to hear, then," Obi finally opened his mouth. "It's good to know the King wasn't running off after fanciful dreams and delusions."

Izana scowled at him, then slowly understood. He turned slowly to look at Izark quizzically. "Can they really do that?"

"Not to minds that are strongly rooted in the light, but to lesser ones, yes. I would have to say, though, that this particular demon is rather...imature?" He raised an eyebrow. "To have fabricated a dream that wasn't even one of your own worries was extremely weak. The only other explanation I've been able to come up with is that the host is not from Clarines and doesn't know enough about the history and politics of the country to understand what your relationship with your mother really is."

Zen's mouth quirked up. "Mother? In your nightmare?"

Izana glared at him. "No. A fabrication with Mother's face and form, and completely as Izark says - fabricated from the mind of a simpleton who has no idea what he was doing. I hated that the most about the dreams. It was obvious they weren't mine, except they were in my own head and I didn't have any other way to explain them. Having Izark show up was quite the relief, believe me." He paused, remembering another thing, looking at his own board.

In the slightly querying, musing voice he used when looking at his board, he said, "Izark, when Ilena first told me that the Lord of Tarc had been a 'demon' and it had moved to Brulac, pieces of my board were put back together, because I could immediately see how the King of Brulac was moving in the same pattern as Tarc, though I had missed it, because it isn't the King, it's someone under him manipulating him, the way the Lord of Tarc manipulated others around him. I would agree with you that this is a completetly different demon. That one is very cunning."

He was moving pieces around on his board in his head, rearranging them, now they were back on it, placing them where they belonged in the future as well as the present. He moved them until he could see what questions needed to be asked and what information passed on. He still had one piece he held in his hand, not sure what to do about. In his mind, he twirled it in his fingers, then suddenly, though slowly so as to not interfere enough to throw him out of his state of mind, another apparition appeared, standing on the other side of his board, hovering in a position it wasn't interfering with the parts he was moving at the moment (the board took up his mind to the horizons and past). "The hell, Izark." It was said out loud as well as in his head. Izark, the demon inside, smiled a slow-to-arrive grin, showing his pointed teeth.

 _'I was wondering if I could see the board also.'_ The words were also said out loud to answer the questions everyone else had. Izark nodded at the piece Izana was holding, and asked internal only, _'Who is that?'_

Izana grimmaced. _'The traitor, that I wish wasn't. He shouldn't have gone that way. I'm always careful about my assistant and associate gardeners. I don't want to place him one way or the other yet. I haven't had the opportunity to talk to him personally to understand.'_

Izark looked thoughtful. _'If he's being controlled by the demon, and he's in Brulac, and I can free him and he repents, does Clarines have to know?'_

Izana paused, then looked sadly at Izark. _'He'll know.'_

Izark paused as well, then sighed. _'True. But if you can forgive him, maybe he'll be able to forgive himself some day. Continuing to trust him somewhere he can build up the trust in himself again -'_

 _'Would be like what happened to me.'_

Izana looked around, startled. Slowly, as if either shy or struggling to enter the place like Izark had, another 'demon' figure showed to his sight. Grey fur that shimmered between dark and light and in between as the demon moved, almost like a cat with wings. Izana blinked at the demon and shook his head. _'Even Liam? How is that possible?'_

 _'The partner link is how I got here,'_ Liam answered.

 _'We don't know why he shows up in that form, though,'_ Izark answered, _'except he has the same energy signature I do, and would therefore be classified as a 'demon' in my world as well. I've assumed he's a demon that chose the light, like I did. I don't think demons can be seen in your world, though, like in mine, and we both started as humans, so it's all rather confusing and a lot deeper than any of us, except Noriko, are likely to ever care to delve into.'_ Izark's face fell, as much as a scaly demon face could. _'Well...until I get to my graduate studies, I suppose.'_

Izana laughed, inside, startling both 'demons'. _'Is it so terrible, Izark, to know you have to study something you're not interested in? Being thrust into a position is that way at the beginning. Just keep going. Be obedient to your wife when she teaches you. It gets easier.'_ He paused and looked at Izark knowingly, _'Particularly since it's what you already want to do.'_

Izark stared at Izana, his eyes flicking up and down the image he saw. Then he bowed a deeper bow, moving carefully because his wings wanted to tip him over being rather heavy. _'Thank you, King Izana.'_ Izark and Liam both faded back out of Izana's sight. He looked at the piece he was holding, then set it back down next to the board. It could wait for now.

He returned to the room, the transition always smooth but taking a few calm breaths. His face was still the calm neutral on the exterior as it always was. Izark looked at him with extreme interest, but he held still. Liam wouldn't look him in the eyes, until Izana had stared at him long enough he had to. The look in his eyes was one of entreaty. Izana raised an eyebrow slightly, and pain entered alongside the entreaty. Izana sighed and turned to Ilena. "Even these two ask me to give the fallen tree compassion. It's difficult when as a man I would like to answer it positively. I can only say at this point that I won't decide until I have enough knowledge. Then we'll see."

Ilena bowed her head. "As I said before, that is sufficient. We will do what we can to retrieve him for you. If there are three of us, perhaps he will be persuaded."

Obi looked up at Izana. "Claim him."

Izana stared at him. "What?"

"Claim him, like Ilena claimed you, Master, Liam and me. Liam and I were saved from the darkness because of it. If he's already yours, you can claim him and save him."

Izana could only be astounded at the proclamation, but Liam was nodding in agreement as he thought about it. "I think that would work, if he's already yours, and he still wants to be yours."

Ilena closed her eyes, looking at something internal. "Izana, he's yours, not mine, but if you feel at all a tugging at your heart, he may be calling you, begging you to save him from the darkness. All of mine are that way until I find them and release them. It was only a few years ago that the demon from Tarc had to find a new host. If your agent was yours for many years before that, he likely hasn't been poisoned enough to have died yet."

That was all it took. Izana didn't know what Ilena did to 'claim' them when she was five, but his heart and soul at that moment _made_ this one to be his. He could feel it as if his fist tightened down on the piece next to the board and _willed_ it to be his, on _his_ board forever, _his_ to move as he saw fit. It didn't go back on his board, but that power suddenly wafted away from him out to somewhere and he felt much calmer inside.

Izark drew in a breath that was heard across the tables and when they looked at him, he was looking towards the east. After a bit, he blinked and turned back. "That was new," he commented then he saw eyes looking at him. He blushed a little. "I'm sorry, I'm feeling rather like I've been brought to a school in coming here. Surely I will gain far more being here than I can give you."

"Not likely," Obi raised an eyebrow. "If you're getting, you'll be giving, too."

Izark's face fell. "I know," he said regretfully. At that there were many light chuckles throughout the room and Liam sent him comfort along the link between them. So did Noriko. Izark looked in surprise between the two of them and he almost wept. _'Noriko. Liam. I'm very grateful to have two supporters in this place where it looks like we'll be asked to do even more.'_

 _'Just as long as you don't take me with you when you go,'_ Liam answered mildly. _'I have to stay with Mistress Ilena.'_

Izark shook his head. _'No, I know. She made the link temporary. Noriko and I are enough once we go again. By then, we'll be strong enough together. It's just nice the world of light has gifted me again with enough strength at the beginning of the next lesson.'_

Liam laughed a little, though with only a little humor. _'I hate to think of what the world of light is going to do with me once my lessons are done. This is the oddest thing ever, and never heard of before in this world, and I'll be left alone.'_

Izark raised an eyebrow at him and looked over at Obi and Ilena and back. _'I don't think so. You'll be closer to them, and therefore better able to help them.'_

Liam considered his master and mistress. _'Perhaps...'_

On the closed connection between them Noriko said softly, _'Izark...do you think...we might be staying here...for a while?'_ Izark looked at her. She was looking thoughtfully at Liam.

 _'Would it bother you if we did?'_ he asked her.

 _'...No.'_

Izark pondered her for a while, then decided not to answer it. It wouldn't bother him either, but he felt that perhaps he shouldn't ask the world of light for that. It was Liam's to ask for.

Izark turned to Ilena and Obi. "In going to look at King Izana's board, we were able to communicate at that level. It is a visual level of the world of light, containing normal mental conversation. ...It may comfort you to know that he also is a light of Clarines, though he has yet to reach his full potential in the way Ilena has, I think. It's harder with men to tell. Women more easily and fully access the world of light, where men draw on the power of it but rarely access it directly. I had to have Noriko open the door to the world of light to find it, though once I understood where it was, I could go myself thereafter."

"That's a bit confusing, Izark," Izana complained calmly. "You move about in the world of light and we work in it, but the door has yet to be opened?"

"Ah, sorry," Izark was apologetic. "Yes. It is confusing." He paused. "It is like we do these things in the courtyard, in the space between the outer wall to the castle confines and the palace itself. One has to find the door to the palace inside themselves, in their inner core, and open it to enter the palace. It's like the women find it easy to get in, but the men don't. I suspect most don't care to. Noriko manipulates the light. I use the power of it." He rubbed his hand over his hair. "I'm making things more confusing, I'm sorry. It is so difficult to express that all of the texts of the world of light in my own world, and even in Noriko's can't say it succinctly. After reading all of them in mine, Noriko finally figured it out with experimentation. I've read those and all the ones from hers and still can't figure out how to express it. I _feel_ it, but that's not helpful to explaining. In the end, to be succinct, it is natural."

*Pft!* Izark looked to Obi. He had a hand over his mouth, hiding a smile. Zen sighed. "That has got to be only the most favorite phrase of Ilena's household. Everything they _do_ is 'natural'. Yet when one tries to imitate it, it can often be the most difficult thing to comprehend."

That table smiled secret smiles and Izark nodded. "Yes, like that."

Zen rolled his eyes and Izark was in complete agreement. "But your boards are the same, aren't they?" Izark asked. "Can you teach another how to hold that image in their head and place the players and move them based on the information you gather?"

The three Wisteria's looked at him soberly. "It is possible," Ilena said, "but much easier to those who already have the gift to do it naturally."

Izark nodded. "But to the extent the three of you hold it, I think not. Only by careful personal training and desire to extend to the limits you need. I think it's a gift, the same as my gifts are. Though, perhaps, you also learned it out of necessity," he looked wry again. "I think most of my gifts are learned that way. Desperation and sudden emergencies seem to make learning certain gifts necessary to essential."

Ilena, Izana, and Zen all nodded to that one. Even Obi and Liam did. "What gifts did you learn that way, if I may ask?" Izark asked them.

Obi looked at him. "Instinctive survival on the streets. Ilena had to teach me how to reach the conscious level of street survival."

"An example of the woman opening the door to understanding," Izark muttered as he looked to Liam.

Liam looked at him. "Also survival, though in a slightly different way."

Izark's mouth twitched. "Perhaps most men learn it that way? That's also how I did, though also protection."

Noriko nodded. "Izark's power is the power to protect."

Izana's eyes lit up and he looked at the two of them with interest, but didn't say anything about that topic. "Izark, you may sit. I think the formal interview is sufficiently over."

Izark bowed to him again and sat next to his wife. He didn't mind the standing, really, and had rather forgotten he was. He did appreciate he could get a drink from his cup, though.

"Ah, just for your information, Izana," Ilena said calmly, reaching for her own cup, "you've still got the room weighted incorrectly. Izark is a king of demons. He is properly placed. He is just overly humble."

Izana blinked at her. "Really, Ilena, I do wish you would say these things sooner."

"They are minor details," Izark said.

Izana cast a rebuking look at him. "It isn't. The power of kings and rulers is great. If you don't acknowledge it, you can do great damage to those under you, or to yourself."

Izark raised his eyebrows. "Begging your pardon, King Izana, I haven't got anyone under me. If there is a garden, it is only me and my supporting tree of Noriko."

Ilena waved an impatient hand, as irritated as Izana. "No. You came from an adoptive family, and Noriko was a dean. You had people under you. Even if they aren't technically under you now, you've had them before and likely you'll have them again. And as long as you're here Liam counts as well. How you treat him and what you say to him are as important as what I do. He's your second tree in this place. When my Children are called in by Liam to help you in town tomorrow, all of them are under you also, because he is under you." Izark sat back upright, blinking in surprise.

Zen looked at Izark and calmly said, "You know how to relate up, but not down. Obi was in that position also and Justinian taught him." Zen looked at Liam. Liam nodded.

Izark looked at them, confused. Liam looked at Izark. "That was the unspoken command, understood by the subordinate. He has set me to teach it to you, how to relate down."

Izark nearly slumped, but stopped himself. That wouldn't do. He frowned at the table in front of him, his finger absently tracing around the bottom of the cup his hand was still around. Slowly he said, "The claiming, the setting of bonds, the requirements that become strengths to those who accept them, the light and strength brought by obedience...these are all part of that, aren't they?"

He looked up at Ilena. She tipped her head towards Obi. Izark looked at Obi. Obi was glowing and a calm strength emanated from him. "That is the strength of one who is both perfectly obedient and perfectly balanced in the ordering of others to obey, Izark," Ilena said softly. "Obi...is the perfect Prince."

Zen snorted. "When he wants to be." Izana was in agreement, but Obi held it so Izark could study it.

When he was done, he slipped way, bowing in his light form to Obi. "Thank you, Obi," Izark said aloud, and Obi slowly released his Prince form until he was back to Ilena's Husband. Izark tipped his head slightly, quizzically. "How is it you can - oh, like my world of light form and the others in between. I can take them on when needed."

Obi nodded. "When Ilena was training me to match all her forms, she worked mine up, one at a time, then transitioned between them smoothly until I could do whichever matched her at any time. Then she gave me two at a time, then three, until at the end, all of them were integrated." He gave a wry look. "Most people can't stand in our presence when they're all integrated, they weigh so much - have so much combined power. King Brother is worse, of course, since he's King, but he doesn't wear it often or the whole castle would implode, I'm sure. Ilena has more...aspects, than most people. Liam has had to learn to wear all of them as well, but from the perspective of a subordinate, rather than an equal, like me. He can teach you, matching whatever is appropriate for you at any given time."

"The link helps," Liam said quietly and with a touch of humor. "That wouldn't do, you know, to show weakness like that in front of equals."

Izark looked at him in surprise. "That was you? It felt like it was me."

Liam tipped his head in a slight bow. "It is the voice of the conscience."

Noriko blinked. "No way. But how can you be the conscience for another person?"

"It's the servant's responsibility to be."

"Noriko, did Izark explain the garden to you?" Ilena asked. Noriko nodded. "It's the same as the lesser members being required to correct the greater to keep them standing straight and correctly so the greater light can enter the garden as a whole."

Izark nodded. That did make sense. "It's the gardener training up the young plant to grow the way he wants it to be shaped when it's older."

Mitsuhide and Lord Barret smiled. "Exactly," Lord Barret said.

"And who is chosen is extremely important," Petroi said softly. "Mistress Ilena's mother was very specific in who she wanted to follow her willful daughter, wanting that willfullness to be a strength and not curbed to strongly. But her father made sure to train me most strictly as well since I was also still very young at the time I was chosen."

Izana nodded. "I chose Mitsuhide for Zen after careful observation of his sword skills, because they have to protect the body of the royal in addition to train the mind and heart. I chose him in that regard because of how he treated the other students at the knight's school, particularly those younger than him. They looked up to him and he gently guided them in their own formation. He was the perfect assistant gardener to place next to Zen." A gentle look passed between Mitsuhide and Izana and Izark felt gratitude flow along it.

"Well, really," Izark said, "I want to slump all over again. It's rather a lot to carry all at once, you know, particularly when I've already got so much to learn."

Noriko put her hand on Izark's arm. "But it's all the same things you're already beginning to learn, Izark. Now you have a teacher to help you, instead of the two of us stumbling around trying to understand it blindly. Liam is even already learning what he needs to know to help teach us in our own 'language', that is the language of the world of light."

Ilena put her chin in her hand and stared at Noriko with an approving smile on her face. "Noriko doesn't have far to go. She's already as much a natural as Mistress Shirayuki." Zen considered it and nodded.

Izana rolled his eyes. "Really, those two. You'd think they were twins or something, ...though Noriko's mind is more like Ilena's. You train her, Sister dear. You should have it done by, what?, tomorrow afternoon?" He lifted his cup and drained what was left in it and set it down again, a slight scowl on his face.

"I'm sorry you chose to ignore your wife for four years," Ilena said, placing the blame directly back on him. "At least we got to her before it was too late, and you're finally getting proper results. She's a natural as well. It's that you are so hard to work with."

Izana looked up at her. "Me?!"

"Yes," Ilena tossed her head, "you. You are a stubborn fool who won't listen until you are made to, believing that you already know it all until all of a sudden so much proof is presented to you that you can't refute it any more. Listen sooner and maybe life will get easier for you."

Izana narrowed his eyes at her. "Listen to who?"

"Haki."

There was sudden silence as Izana tried to turn his expectations around. As he was about to lite into Ilena again, Ilena pointed at Noriko. Just as angrilly she said to him, "Iz-a-na. What did Noriko just do? What did Izark need? Who gave it to him? How valuable was it? If you answer wrong, Haki needs to come live with us until you understand."

Izana's mouth snapped closed, and his eyes snapped as well. Ilena leaned back. "That was my point as well." Izana growled at her, but he was no longer looking at her. He was looking internal, trying to get his heart and anger to calm down.

 _'Ah, points...,'_ Liam said across the link, and Izark could feel he had included Noriko. _'The royals and nobles use points in verbal battles to determine who has won it in the end. Mistress Ilena took a point for scolding Izana, then took another when Izana was angry that she would take his wife from him. He has reached the point in his tutelage by Mistress Ilena that he wants to keep Queen Haki protected himself. Allowing that desire to show lost him the point, though it wins Mistress Ilena a point for having helped him get that far.'_

 _'He was quite disinterested in having a wife for the longest time. It was only because the lords expected him to have one and so they would quit telling him to get one. He was taking on the pretence of proper kingship but wasn't taking the form of it until Mistress Ilena scolded him severely. Sadly, she is right. He is very stubborn and it takes this kind of scolding from her to get him to move. Lord Barret has done well with him, but when it comes to women he is not capable. The King has a deep wound from his past that only Mistress Ilena's own past with the King can cross, so it is her that trains him in this area.'_

"Izana," Izark said and surprised eyes were turned to him, "I believe it was you who told me that I should listen to my wife so that I could move forward on my path. I believe it went something like: 'Be obedient to your wife when she teaches you. It gets easier _. ..._ Particularly since it's what you already want to do'." Izark looked at Izana calmly, with an expectant expression on his face. Izana looked at him in complete surprise, then put his fingers to his temple. Izark relented slightly. "I understand I've changed the meaning slightly, but that was on purpose. After all, I've been where you are."

"Ilena..."

"Yes, Izana?"

"What did you name him in the Family?"

Ilena smiled a small triumphant smile. "Big Brother."

Izana sat back with a sigh of defeat. "Of course you did. That makes her -"

Obi was nodding, "- Big Sister."

Izana dropped both hands to rest on the arms of his chair. "Well, if he's going to be here to support the garden, then I guess he's stepping right in, isn't he?"

"We don't really have very far to go," Izark said calmly. "We merely need to get our footing. We _have_ only been here two days."

There were stunned and then resigned relenting looks around the room. Liam smiled. "You win," he said to Izark.

Izark laughed his silent laugh, his eyes sparkling. "You should try against Noriko some time. She's a much better negotiator than I am, and she's had all the practice being dean, and head of the hospital."

"Oh, Gods," Izana moaned quietly to himself. "She _worse_ than Ilena. Shirayuki won't...oh, no." He groaned and turned away, keeping his face hidden. "Don't. Really, just don't."

Zen chuckled. "Oh, I think I will."

"No, please."

Ilena and Obi couldn't keep it in either and soon laughter filled the room. Lord Barret shook his head and patted Izana on the shoulder consolingly. Noriko looked confused. "Izark, why does that make King Izana beg?"

Izark smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her. "Because, dear wife, I suspect Shirayuki is his nemesis and you are here to be her teacher." Noriko got a look of understanding on her face and nodded.

Izana waved a hand at Izark without looking. "You didn't have to tell her, really."

Izark smiled a wicked smile. "No, I really did want the point. ...I'd like you to remember we're almost two hundred years older than you." Izana nodded his head, conceeding both points immediately. Izark rewarded him. "Though I did appreciate those words, they were very helpful."

Izana sighed and relaxed. Really relaxed. Ilena gave a grateful look to Izark and he bowed his head to her, accepting the gratitude.

Zen laced his fingers together and set his elbows on the table in front of him. " _Now_ it feels like family," he said, his eyes sparkling. "Welcome home, Elder Brother. We're glad to see you again."

Izana looked up at Zen. "Thank you. I'm glad to be with you all again, too." He rolled his eyes ruefully towards Izark and Noriko, "Even the new ones."

Both Izark and Noriko tipped their heads at him with smiles on their faces. "Thanks for having us," Noriko said kindly and brightly.

Izana sighed and picked up his empty cup. Holding it out towards his table companion, he said, "Mitchel, pour me another. I think I'd like to have one more before giving up completely for the night." Lord Barret picked up the wine bottle and poured one more glass for his King, supremely grateful this night, and the day even, had been good to his long-time charge who found relaxing to be a word not found in his vocabulary. He'd begun to be very worried the King was becoming too brittle to continue carrying the kingdom. If on this particular journey he could find flexibility again, then all might be made right for the future.

Izana swirled his glass thoughtfully after taking a sip, sitting back relaxed in his chair, one leg up on the other knee. "Really, it should have been at least Grandfather and Grandmother, don't you think?"

"No," Ilena and Noriko said at the same time.

Izana held up a concilatory hand. "It's the feel is all. The other is fine. There are days I feel a million years older than Zen and several hundred older than Ilena."

Zen got an irked look on his face and Ilena made a face but smiled. "Your board's too big, then," Izark said into his cup, looking into it. "You see too far out, which is fine to get some things started, but you forget in doing that...your son may not want to carry them on, or his son, or his son. You don't have to carry the future that far out. Focusing on your reign, and setting up your son's so he has a solid foundation to start on is sufficient."

Izana looked over to him in surprise. Noriko nodded. "I had to learn that level of restraint in the research department. You asked me about how much I gave. I had to finally write it all down so that I could sort through it and decide what was _really_ important and even possible in my lifetime, then allow the rest to just stay written. When my students graduated, some of them came to me and asked to read my list and picked something off of it, but most of them wanted to explore their own world and came up with some really interesting stuff that I would never have been able to conceive of, both because it was their world and not mine, and because their youth and gifts tended to other directions. They weren't bad, just different. Even the man I turned the research department over to when I became dean wanted to take it a different direction. It was hard to learn to turn the reins over to him, and for a few years he had to work to wean me off wanting to have my hands in his pie."

Noriko looked off into the distant memories of that time. "When I could, though, it was very freeing and I was able to enjoy watching what he did. I felt like I'd let my twenty-year old go and he was flying free and strong. I got a lot of joy out of it. I had to do it again when I left my practice to my assistant because I was asked to be on the hospital board. Physically, in both cases, it was necessary. I was too old to keep up the pace needed, but mentally it was also necessary because I needed to grow and let those things I had started change so they could also grow and flourish."

She rubbed a thumb over her glass absently. "It's rather like taking the garden, getting it going strong, then turning it over to the next gardener apprentice. You watch over them for a while, then you step back and sit in your chair under the tree and finally get to just enjoy the garden you've worked so hard on. Sometimes the gardener comes back and sits with you and asks for advice, but most of the time you just watch the changes that come upon the garden gradually. You see what you did mature, and you see what the new changes do to make it just as beautiful in new ways."

Noriko tipped her head and a wry smile came to her lips. "It can hurt to see a tree you worked hard on chopped down to make room for something new, but when it's done, you see why they did it. Sometimes they make mistakes and you walk over and pat them on the back sympathetically, advise them what they did wrong so they don't do it again, then walk away and let them fix it." Noriko lifted her cup and looked at Izana from the corner of her eyes. "I'm sure you've already done it once when you let Zen take the Regency, and your mother had to do it when she gave you the kingdom. How many of her policies have you already changed? How many ministers have you removed? How many of those were her pet projects, her favorites in the court? It likely wasn't wrong, it just wasn't what she was doing. Don't live your son's life, nor your grandson's. You won't get to just sit and enjoy them when you get there." She drank from her cup and set it back down.

"Izana, you are a very conscientious king. Your people are very blessed to have you. It is a rare thing in any world. I want to help you keep your country strong and happy in whatever small way I can. Izark does, too." She looked him squarely in the eye. "Please, live for yourself and for today. Love your wife and your children. Do your best but don't over do. Remember that family is your strength and your support and rest is important to the mind and body both. Play is important for it gives you joy in the moment and something to make the work worth it. Sometimes the dishes don't get done and you have to wash them just before you eat again, but whatever it was you were doing - strengthening a sad friend, helping the neighbor, lifting your aging mother, teaching your child, listening to your wife because she has just had a terrible day - these things are the important things in life that each of us need to do. Don't negelect them. The people who are our supports need us as much as we need them. Sometimes only five minutes makes all the difference and won't damage the work we need to do. If these things are lacking in your life, are being made to pay the price, pull your board back. Reconsider how much you really need to be doing. It's you that you are damaging in the end."

Noriko looked around at the others in the room. "I don't think you're doing poorly at all, given what I've seen of the others, but...," she looked back at him, "they are all worried for you. It speaks to the possibility that within you, _you_ are not doing well. Take care of Izana, too. Everyone would like to be able to enjoy you for a long time to come as well. Take into account what Izana wants. It's just as important as what the country needs, because the country needs Izana, happy and whole."

Noriko looked at her glass again and lifted it. "In my world we have a custom where we lift our glasses and drink in a toast to those we wish to praise or wish well and good things for. If you will join me, I would propose a toast to Izana, the best king I have seen in all of my travels across the worlds." The others in the room immitated her, lifting their glasses. "Ah, then you all say, 'to Izana' and drink," Noriko finished the instructions. With smiles they obeyed. When the cups were on the tables again in front of them, they looked at Izana, and with some surprise that they all very carefully hid behind their court faces, they saw he had tears streaming down his face.

Lord Barret calmly handed over a handkerchief as Ilena calmly rose and walked over to sit on the other side of Izana to take his hand in hers. "It's about time," she said quietly. "...We love you, Izana. You really are a good king." He squeezed her hand back, but wasn't recovered enough to answer her.

When he was he said, "If any of you ever breathe a word of this outside this room..." They all shook their heads understandingly, promising. He sighed and wiped his eyes one last time. "Thank you Lady Noriko, for your kind words."

"My pleasure," she answered, smiling kindly.

"I will take your advice under consideration, Izark, Noriko. And this time," he looked at Ilena, "I won't forget."

She patted his arm. "Good. ...But that means you already walked too far down that path, doesn't it?"

Izana rolled his eyes at her, then looked sad. "Yes, I did. I'm sorry."

Ilena nodded philosophically. "That's okay. You are very good at turning around before it's too late. You'll be fine, once you've figured it out."

Izana sighed one more time, then extricated his arm from her and finished his wine in one go. "I need to sleep now, I think," he put the cup down on the table and stood. The others stood with him. "The rest of you can stay if you want. Don't wake me up when you come in, unless it's to give me a kiss."

Obi's eyes lit up and Petroi hit him on the head, earning him a glare. Izana raised a hand in farewell and Lord Barret followed him out of the room with his four guards, who all also looked very much more relieved to have their liege finally healing and perhaps turning back into something a little less than a mechanism.

When he was gone and Ilena had rejoined Obi, the room collectively relaxed with a rather loud sigh. Zen turned to Noriko and Izark. "He hasn't cried once since he was an infant."

Ilena nodded. "He needed that clearing quite badly. He wouldn't even ever cry for me, and I can get anyone to let their past go. He relaxed with me and no one else, but that was it. Thank you very much."

Noriko looked at Izark. They could see there were things in their past they were remembering. "You're welcome." She sighed. "Honestly, this isn't the first king we've had to do this for. ...I suspect we aren't done here, but if we are, thank you for welcoming us as family. And...he really is the best one we've had the pleasure to meet, as are all of you. You've made your land be very close to the world of light and there is much happiness here. I don't suppose we have the right to say it, but we are very proud of you, and I dare say the World of Light is as well."

She looked into Zen's eyes, then Ilena's, then Obi's, then each of the aides, ending with Liam, giving him a tender smile. Each of them bowed to her kindness, and to the light that shone from her eyes and radiated from her face. Then she held Izark's hand tightly and looked into his eyes. They were brilliant sapphire blue. She smiled into them and he smiled back a proprietary loving smile. He waited a moment for the swirl of her light to calm a little, then leaned down and kissed her and her soft explosion rippled the light into all of the people in the room and in the house.

As he held her, feeling the wind of the World of Light around them, he asked, _'I wonder where we'll end up next? That's the shortest ever for us, I think. Do you think they'll be okay with us just leaving? Or will they understand they are already strong enough?'_

Noriko looked up at him, her eyes laughing. _'Oh, I think they do already understand that. It's that they are jealous for family and partners and company. They'd even leave us at the castle and let us behave like grandparents, just to get us to stay until they are done having us around._ ' She nuzzled into his chest, loving the feeling of being protected in his warmth. _'Will you be content to be their sword if they wish us back? I'd rather not be left behind, for all Shirayuki might enjoy a few lessons. She doesn't need them.'_

Izark looked thoughtful. ' _I'm intrigued as to why Liam needed the lessons we have been learning, and I did actually enjoy learning things there that I could continue lessons in. It wouldn't be all bad. I'd only be worried about if they came to rely on us too much. Would they ever be able to let us go?'_

Noriko shrugged. ' _Does it matter? We could stay until they go and then move on, or go when grandparents should go. All humans know that eventually their loved ones move on and they do too.'_

Izark bent down and kissed the top of her head. _'True.'_

They held each other, feeling their love and the softness of the world of light until the wind died down again and they were in the place the world of light wanted them to be.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading with me. The ending was a surprise to even me. I'd be happy to return them back and continue it...if anyone wants me too. (I've left it open ended on purpose.) But I do like this ending. Ciao._


End file.
